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1 



NARRATIVE OF A TOUR 



THROUGH 



SOME PARTS 



TURKISH EMPIRE. 



LONDON: 

PRINTED BY RICHARD TAYLOR. 
1829. 



51262 




PREFACE. 

THE countries of the East have been of late 
years so much visited, and so often described, 
that they are (or may be) sufficiently known ; 
and a new publication on the subject may 
well be thought superfluous. But every one 
is willing to believe that he has some friends 
to whom his adventures and remarks may 
nevertheless be interesting : — for their peru- 
sal the present volume is intended, and they 
will I hope excuse its imperfections. Should 
they find it deficient in antiquarian or scien- 
tific research, they will recollect that the 
object of the traveller was simply to amuse 
himself, or at most, as Montaigne has it, 
" pour frotter et limer sa cervelle contre celle 
d'aliruy." 

The following pages must submit to the 
fate of all works of the same class which are 



iv 



long delayed. Scenes which they describe 
may have passed away, and events to which 
they allude may be forgotten ; but they have 
been composed only during the intervals of 
leisure from various other occupations ; and 
I felt no wish to hasten the completion of a 
task which recalled in its progress one of the 
happiest periods of my life. 



CONTENTS. 

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
From Naples through La Puglia to Corfu page 1 

CHAPTER II. 
Morea. — Athens. — Smyrna 23 

CHAPTER III. 
Asia Minor. — Constantinople 50 

CHAPTER IV. 
Constantinople 78 

CHAPTER V. 

Archipelago. — Alexandria. — Cairo 113 

CHAPTER VI. 
Voyage up the Nile 162 

CHAPTER VII. 
Nubia.— Phiiae 193 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Nile. — Cairo. — Damietta 228 

CHAPTER IX. 

Palestine 262 

CHAPTER X. 

Jerash 317 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XI. 
Acre. — Dehr el Kamr. — Tripoli .* . page 347 

CHAPTER XII. 

Damascus ' 383 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Balbec. — Maloula 403 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Palmyra 419 

CHAPTER XV. 
Seida. — Tripoli.-— Latakia 452 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Antioch. — Aleppo. — Latakia 474 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Cyprus. — Rhodes, — Smyrna w> .- . 503 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Archipelago. — Athens. — Zante 515 



NARRATIVE OF A TOUR 

THROUGH SOME PARTS OF 

THE TURKISH EMPIRE. 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

FROM NAPLES THROUGH LA PUGLIA TO CORFU. 

Though the numerous bands of robbers which 
had for several years infested the provinces of La 
Puglia and Bari had been materially checked in the 
spring of 1818, yet it was still thought unsafe to 
travel through those countries without an escort. 
As we did not, however, wish to make this addition 
to our ordinary equipage, we determined to put 
ourselves under the care of the public courier, who 
goes periodically from Naples to Otranto, and ac- 
cordingly engaged places in his capacious but uneasy 
vehicle. He assured us that guards would be in 
waiting at all the dangerous points on the road; and 
as a further precaution, we were not suffered to de- 
part on our journey till the passengers had been 
assembled in a little chapel attached to the post- 
office, where a Capucin friar performed mass, and 

B 



2 



put up prayers for our safe arrival. After this cere- 
mony we set off at one o'clock in the morning of 
the 19th of July. f 9 

Traversing the vineyards and gardens of the Cam- 
pagna Felice till we came to the little village of 
Cardinale, we there entered a defile in the moun- 
tains, and passed through some fine scenery to 
Avellino the capital of the Principato Citra. This 
is a considerable place, and when we arrived it pre- 
sented a very gay appearance. It was Sunday, and 
a beautifully fresh summer's morning : the inhabi- 
tants were all out in their holiday clothes, and groups 
of peasantry were flocking from the neighbouring 
country distinguished by a most picturesque cos- 
tume. The men had large white hats of the sugar- 
loaf shape, profusely ornamented with coloured rib- 
bands ; the women wore bright scarlet petticoats and 
green aprons, and their head-dresses were deco- 
rated with massive gold or silver ornaments. 

Soon after leaving Avellino, the mountains opened 
into wide spreading downs, from which on the left 
we looked down on the city of Benevento, and on a 
range of broken hills, among whose intricacies the 
Furcae Caudinae are said to have been situated. A 
long ascent conducted us to Arriano, which has 
been conjectured to occupy the site of the town 
whose name baffled the poetic skill of Horace. We 
arrived there about six o'clock ; and as it was not 
thought safe to continue our journey through the 
night, we were forced to put up with the miserable 



3 



accommodations which the only inn in the place 
could afford. 

The next morning we set out at day-break, and 
descended into the pass of Bovino, a narrow valley 
forming the bed of the river Cervaro, which is 
here only a mountain torrent, dry in the summer 
months. It is bordered by low sandy cliffs, in some 
places covered with stunted underwood, in others 
broken into ravines and hollowed into caverns, which 
might almost seem to have been designed by nature 
for the retreat of banditti. This spot was indeed 
one of the favourite scenes of their operations ; and 
we were forcibly reminded of them, when on turning 
the corner of a projecting rock, a number of human 
heads stuck upon poles, on each side of the road, 
suddenly presented themselves to our view. We 
counted sixteen of them as the carriage moved 
slowly along through the ghastly avenue ; of several 
the features were scarcely obliterated, and most of 
them had the hair still sticking to the scalp. They 
were the heads of some of the companions of the 
brothers Varderelli, who after having been at one 
time the terror of the country as robbers, and at 
another employed by the Government as officers of 
police, had met their fate either by accident or de- 
sign a few months before^. 

* For some particulars of these men, of their connection with 
the government, and of the manner in which they perished, see 
" Craven's Journey in the Southern Provinces of Naples." 

B 2 



4 



This gloomy defile ends at Ponte di Bovino, where 
we entered an immense plain, which extends almost 
without interruption to the Adriatic. On the right 
we saw some distant and scattered mountains, and 
on the left the view was bounded by a low ridge of 
hills, which runs eastward to the sea and terminates 
in the promontory of Monte Gargano, the spur (as 
it has been called) of Italy, at the foot of which 
Manfredonia is situated. The houses and villages 
on this plain are very thinly scattered ; and hardly a 
tree is to be seen, the soil being very sandy and 
water scarce. It appeared however to be tolerably 
well cultivated. The harvest was nearly over, and 
the horses were already occupied in treading out the 
corn. We passed through Ordagna, where are some 
slight remains of a Roman town of the same name 
and several tumuli, and Cerignola, the ancient Ce- 
ra. imilia, from whence we followed the course of the 
Ofanto (Ufens) to Barletta. This part of the journey 
is fertile in historical recollections. At Cerignola, 
Gonsalvo di Cordova gained that decisive victory 
over the troops of Louis XII. which secured the 
throne of Naples to Spain ; and between that place 
and Barletta we observed on the right some rising 
ground, in the neighbourhood of which we may 
probably place the scene of the battle of Cannse, 
though the precise spot in which that memorable 
action was fought, has not, I believe, been satisfac- 
torily ascertained. Barletta is a good town, as are 



5 



also Trani, Bisceglia, Molfetta, and some others that 
succeed it. Their streets are open and airy, and 
they are surrounded by agreeable villas. All this line 
of country indeed, called the Marina di Bari, is well 
cultivated, and has a cheerful and ornamental ap- 
pearance which we should scarcely expect to find 
on a remote and untravelled shore. Civilization 
with its attendant benefits seems more equally dif- 
fused than on the western side of the kingdom ; and 
the peasants appear to be more industrious, more 
cleanly, better clad, and to speak in a purer dialect. 
The general character indeed of the inhabitants of 
these provinces must not be inferred from the sy- 
stem of terror and outrage which so long prevailed 
there, and by means of which, a comparatively small 
body contrived to overawe the majority of the 
people. 

During the whole of our route, whenever the 
carriage stopped at any little town or village, it was 
presently surrounded by a crowd of persons of all 
classes, eagerly inquiring the result of the lottery 
which had been just drawn at Naples ; the only 
public intelligence in which they were at all con- 
cerned, or perhaps which ever came correctly to their 
ears. So great was the interest which it excited, 
that the labourers would frequently leave their work 
in the distant fields, and come running and breath- 
less to the road-side to learn the fortunate numbers. 
The schemes of the Italian lotteries indeed are 
adapted to the most limited fortunes, the public trea- 



6 



suries being generally in such a state that "the 
smallest donations are thankfully received*." 

On arriving at Bari, we found ourselves too much 
fatigued to pursue our journey as we had intended 
with the courier, who proceeded almost immediately 
on horseback ; and we therefore remained there the 
next day. Like most other seaports it is a very 
disagreeable place, the streets narrow, close and 
dirty ; it probably occupies the site of the ancient 
Barium, but I could not find that it possessed any 
remains of Greek or Roman antiquity. In the middle 
ages it was a place of consequence, and one of its 
churches contains some curious sepulchral monu- 
ments of those times. It still carries on a trade in 
oil, which, judging from the number of the vessels 
in the mole, I should suppose to be flourishing. 

After some deliberation whether we should go 
on to Otranto by sea or by land, we determined on 
the latter, and engaged one of the little open chaises 
known in Naples by the name of " Corncob," 
which are drawn either by one or two horses, and 
accommodate, though very badly, two passengers, the 
driver sometimes running by their side, sometimes 

* So much does this species of gambling occupy the minds of 
the Italians, that the names of some families have been changed 
in order to commemorate their success in it. Thus the Quintiliani 
of Rome, who were once the holders of the fortunate five numbers 
which ensure the capital prize, have since been called the Cavalieri 
del Cinque ; and the name of Cardinal Quarantotti, once so well 
known in a neighbouring island, was derived from an ancestor 
who on some occasion had won forty-eight thousand crowns. 



i 



7 



sitting at their feet, and occasionally standing up 
behind, and flourishing his whip over their heads. 

In such a conveyance we set out from Bari at 
three o'clock in the morning of the 22nd of July. 
The road from Naples thus far, as several inscrip- 
tions testify, was either made or improved by Philip 
the Third of Spain. It was the intention of the 
French to have continued it along the coast to 
Otranto ; but here, as elsewhere, their expulsion put 
a stop to improvement, and at about six miles from 
Bari their work ends, and is succeeded by one of 
the most wretched tracks, — for road it cannot be 
called, — which ever disgraced a civilized country. 
In the interior the sand rose to the axletree ; and 
on the shore the rock either remained in all its 
native ruggedness, or was worn into holes and ruts, 
which from their size and depth might be supposed 
almost coeval with the invention of wheel-carriages, 
while our rough and jolting vehicle might evidently 
be referred to a period when the art of constructing 
them was in its infancy. 

After quitting the suburbs and gardens of Bari we 
traversed a scattered forest of wild fig-trees, passed 
through the pleasant little town of Mola, and then 
entered extensive olive-grounds continuing to Po- 
lignano and Monopoli, at the latter of which we 
halted in the middle of the day. It is a place of 
small extent, but very closely built, possessing se- 
veral good-looking churches and a very pleasant 
suburb, — an addition common to almost all the 



8 



towns on this coast, and which contributes materially 
to the cheerful appearance which I have already 
mentioned. On leaving Monopoly a range of hills 
began to show itself on our rights stretching to the 
south and bounding an extensive plain covered 
with olive-trees and studded with white villages 
and cassinos. Our road now ran close to the sea, 
whose shores in this part are rocky and indented. 
There are a number of cottages at intervals along 
the beach; some of them the quarters of the "gens 
d'armes" and "douaniers," others bathing-houses, 
or villas belonging to the inhabitants of the towns 
in the interior. At one of these, called Furticella, the 
lower story is used as an inn ; and here we were in- 
differently accommodated for the night, our slumbers 
being disturbed by the noisy jollity of some officers 
of the Neapolitan preventive service, who had come 
down to observe the movements of a suspicious sail 
which had appeared in the offing. 

We left these watchful guardians deeply engaged 
at cards about three o'clock in the morning, and 
continued our route near the shore, leaving Ostuni, 
a very conspicuous town on a high hill, on our right. 
As we advanced, the heights gradually subsided into 
a wide sandy plain, wholly uncultivated, and over- 
grown with arbutus, lentisk, and a variety of other 
evergreen shrubs. We now struck into the interior, 
and halted at the village of Misagna. From thence 
we passed through thick olive-groves to Squinzano, 
— a miserable place, where we were lodged in an out- 



9 



house ; and the next morning early we reached Lecce, 
the capital of the province. 

At Lecce the fatigues of our journey ended, and 
we were compensated by the hospitality of our coun- 
tryman General Church, the commanding officer 
and governor of the province, to whom we had 
brought letters of recommendation from Naples. 
He assigned us very comfortable lodgings at the 
house of an officer, and gave us a general invitation 
to his head-quarters, where we had an opportunity 
of becoming acquainted with the principal persons 
of the town and neighbourhood, and of hearing 
many particulars of the disturbances which had 
lately agitated the country. 

The Apulian provinces, which under the more 
vigorous government of the French had with dif- 
ficulty been kept in subjection, on the return of the 
Bourbon dynasty fell into a state of disorder little 
short of open rebellion. In addition to the grand 
society of Carbonari, which was diffused over the 
whole kingdom, and as to whose real designs much 
uncertainty seems still to prevail, others of a less 
doubtful nature were organized in these provinces 
under the various names of Patrioti, Philadelphi, 
and Decisi. Of these the professed objects were 
all nearly the same ; though the last, as its name im- 
plies, was more bold in the avowal of them, and 
comprehended in its ranks all the most desperate 
characters in the country. Its members were ini- 
tiated with various frightful ceremonies, and were 



10 



bound together by the strongest oaths. Their com- 
missions or certificates of admission to the Society, 
one of which was shown to me, were ornamented 
with representations of skulls and cross bones, and 
the more important passages were written in blood. 
Their principal badges were a black flag and a dag- 
ger ; and the meaning of these emblems, in itself 
obvious enough, was further explained in a sort of 
creed or catechism which was placed in the hands 
of the initiated. The professed objects of the society 
were benevolent and philanthropic ; but under the 
specious pretext of (i War to the Palace and Peace to 
the Cottage," they spread terror, rapine, and assas- 
sination among all classes of the community. The 
members were regularly organized in greater and 
smaller divisions, called camps and sections; and they 
met openly for training and exercise, even at the 
gates of the great towns. Lecce alone could muster 
several hundred; and it was calculated that the whole 
number enrolled in the two provinces amounted to 
from thirty to forty thousand armed men. 

The Government, alarmed at these formidable 
combinations, determined on appointing to the com- 
mand of the district Lieut. -Colonel Church, whose 
energetic character had been displayed in raising 
and disciplining a Greek corps in the English service: 
and in the autumn of 1817 he repaired to his post, 
with about fifteen hundred Neapolitan troops, and 
four or five hundred Albanians, who were glad to 
rejoin the standard of their old commander. 



11 



The malcontents seem to have been overawed by 
this imposing force ; and after a smart action at Mar- 
sano, in which a large party of them was defeated, 
no serious resistance was offered, except by a small 
corps headed by the priest Ciro Anichiarico, a man 
whose courage and enterprise might have qualified 
him to shine in a more honourable situation. He 
belonged to a family of respectability in one of the 
provinces, and had risen to some rank in his order; 
but being disappointed in his hopes of further pre- 
ferment, and thinking that his pretensions were un- 
justly neglected, he changed his pursuits and became 
one of the most daring leaders of the bands of the 
Decisi. The acts of atrocity which had been com- 
mitted by himself and his followers leaving him no 
hope of pardon, he boldly took the field at the head 
of about 150 men, and having the advantage of a 
perfect knowledge of the country, sustained himself 
for several days against the very superior force which 
was brought against him. He probably expected 
to be relieved from pursuit by a general insurrection 
of his associates; but finding that this did not take 
place, and that his followers were gradually drop- 
ping off and seeking safety in flight, he formed the 
resolution of shutting himself up with six or seven 
of the most desperate in a solitary " masseria," or 
farm-house, near Grotaglia. In a country so subject 
to the attacks of banditti, these are generally places 
of strength ; and he was able to defend himself 
against the troops for three days. During this time 



12 



he kept up a brisk fire of musquetry, and killed 
several of the assailants^ till at length his ammuni- 
tion being exhausted, and his little garrison suffer- 
ing severely from want of water, he was forced to 
surrender. He was immediately tried by a court- 
martial, and met his fate with perfect unconcern. 
An officer who told me the story,, asking him just 
before his death in how many assassinations he had 
been implicated, he coolly replied that he could not 
recollect the exact number, but that he had com- 
mitted sixty or seventy with his own hand. 

A military commission was still sitting at Lecce, 
for the trial of those who had been concerned in 
the late outrages, or who were members of the ob- 
noxious associations. The president was a colonel 
of the provincial militia; and as far as I had an op- 
portunity of judging, the proceedings were con- 
ducted with coolness and impartiality. Many of 
the accused were connected with respectable fami- 
lies in the provinces, and their fate of course ex- 
cited considerable interest, though this was in a 
great degree lost in the general feeling of satisfac- 
tion which pervaded all ranks of the community at 
being freed from the thraldom of the Decisi. The 
sentences of the court-martial were all referred to 
the commander-in-chief of the district, who, being 
armed with the Alterego or full delegation of the 
royal authority, had the power of enforcing them 
without appeal. About eighty persons in all paid 
the forfeit of their lives : but of these it was satis- 



13 



factory to learn that not one suffered for political 
offences only, — all having been found guilty of as- 
sassination, or of some other crime equally deserv- 
ing capital punishment. The good-will which the 
general seemed to have universally conciliated, even 
in the execution of so unpleasing a duty, was a suf- 
ficient proof that his power had not been exer- 
cised with undue severity. 

Lecce is supposed to have risen on the ruins of 
two adjoining ancient towns, Lupia and Rhudia, 
and to have derived its name from Lycia, the Greek 
appellation of the former. It is badly situated in 
a barren sandy plain, but is one of the best built 
towns in the kingdom. Its population is estimated 
at 14,000 ; a number not at all proportionate to its 
extent, when compared with other Neapolitan cities. 
It has several churches, which might be called hand- 
some were it not for the load of fantastic architec- 
tural ornament with which they are overwhelmed. 
Within and without the walls there were once thirty- 
five large and well-endowed convents, but almost 
- all of these were suppressed during the frequent 
revolutions of the last twenty years. The buildings 
have been appropriated to secular purposes : neither 
does it appear probable that they will ever be re- 
stored to their original destination. A modern 
military government is little disposed to favour ec- 
clesiastical pretension ; and the active part which 
many of the inferior clergy had taken in the late 
disturbances, did not much contribute to raise the 
order in general in the public estimation. 



14 



Lecce cannot boast of a very splendid theatre, 
neither were the performances while we were there 
particularly attractive. I was more pleased to be 
present at one of the weekly " Societes," or even- 
ing parties, which the general was in the habit of 
giving at his quarters. The rooms were filled with 
countesses, marchionesses, and duchesses, who 
proverbially abound in the southern provinces of 
Naples : but notwithstanding the high rank of the 
company, there was not the least appearance of 
ceremony ; and the evening passed cheerfully in 
conversation and dancing. The latter seemed a 
favourite amusement ; and in spite of the extreme 
heat of the weather, was kept up with the greatest 
alacrity. 

We remained five days at Lecce, and would wil- 
lingly have prolonged our stay, had not the expected 
return of the packet from Corfu rendered it pru- 
dent for us to repair to the coast. We therefore took 
leave of our friends on the 29th of July, and pro - 
ceeded in a " corricolo " escorted by two dragoons 
to Otranto. The distance is about sixteen miles, 
and we passed through several villages in our way. 
Most of these were founded, or had been occupied, 
by Albanian emigrants, who at different periods of 
history passed over to the Italian coast ; and the 
Romaic is pretty generally spoken by the lower 
classes of the inhabitants. 

We reached Otranto early in the day. It is plea- 
santly situated at the outward angle of a small bay ; 
but it is a very insignificant place, little more in- 



15 



deed than a collection of cottages. We were pro- 
vided with an order for quarters, and the officer on 
duty billeted us on a certain Canonico Ripeto, who 
did not obey the summons with the best possible 
grace. We were lodged at the top of the house, in 
a miserable garret full of lumber and vermin of 
every description ; and the short time we had to 
stay at Otranto would have passed very disagreeably, 
had we not been furnished with a letter of introduc- 
tion to Don Salcedo, the principal proprietor, or 
squire of the place, whom we found an exceedingly 
polite and intelligent man. His house was not 
large enough to lodge strangers, but he invited us 
to his table ; and we found there a very cheerful 
party, consisting of his son and daughter, his bro- 
ther an abbe, and some other clergymen. 

On the following morning the telegraph an- 
nounced to us that the packet was in sight ; but as 
the wind did not permit its entering the port, we 
repaired towards evening to a little cove called Ba- 
tisco, about four miles to the south. In consequence 
of there being on board the packet some Albanian 
soldiers, whom it was necessary to remove in boats 
to the lazaretto, we were detained till near mid- 
night, and lost the opportunity of a favourable 
breeze, which would have carried us before morn- 
ing to the opposite shore. As it was, we made but 
little progress during the night, and remained be- 
calmed for the greater part of the next day on° Fano. 
This and the adjacent island of Merlera contain, 



16 



we were told, from 1500 to 2000 inhabitants, who 
cultivate also Matraki, an uninhabited rock at a 
small distance. The produce is chiefly oil, though 
there are a few vines on the declivities towards the 
shore. 

By the assistance of our oars and of a slight 
breeze which sprung up towards evening, we ap- 
proached the low white cliffs on the north-western 
side of Corfu, and arrived off Cape Bianco, its 
northern extremity, just as the last rays of the sun 
were reflected from the lofty ridge of the Acrocerau- 
nian Mountains, which stretched out majestically on 
our left. During the night we weathered this point 
and got into the channel between the island and 
the mainland ; but the winds continuing light and 
variable, we did not reach the town of Corfu till 
late in the day, and after about forty hours from the 
time. we embarked. The latter part of our voyage, 
however, was delightful. We sailed slowly along 
* the channel, which in some places is not wider than 
a broad river, with the rocky mountains of Albania 
on one side of us, and the woody hills of Corfu on 
the other, till at last we became completely land- 
locked, and the town with its lofty castles burst 
upon us as if rising from the shore of an immense 
lake. 

Corfu is built on a neck of land which runs out 
into the sea, and forms the southern boundary of a 
wide and deep bay. At its extremity are two steep 
rocks occupied by a fortress, called the Castello 



17 



Vecchio, immediately below which on the land side 
are the Government-house, the arsenal, and other 
public buildings, protected by strong works. Be- 
yond these is the Esplanade, a large space extend- 
ing across the isthmus, at one end open to the sea, 
and at the other occupied by a handsome new build- 
ing, intended to comprise a residence for the lord 
high commissioner, together with the chambers 
of the deputies, the tribunals, and other public of- 
fices. Within the esplanade the town is situated, 
and is again protected towards the interior by very 
extensive works and another fortified rock called 
CastelloNuovo. The French, whose intention seems 
to have been to make Corfu a great and impreg- 
nable depot, from which at some future period they 
might penetrate into Greece, had begun some im- 
portant additions to the old Venetian fortifications, 
which were considered to be already among the 
strongest in Europe. The little island of Vido, 
which is exactly in front of the town, was stripped 
of the peaceful olive-trees which had covered it for 
ages, and their place was supplied by intrenchments 
and batteries, and on the land side they had begun 
to dig a fosse and to construct lines which would 
have included all the commanding points in the 
vicinity of the town, and might if necessary have 
cut off all communication with the rest of the island. 
These gigantic schemes, however, were entirely laid 
aside by the English, the old fortifications probably 
requiring for their defence a garrison five times as 

c 



18 



numerous as the force which they maintain in all 
the Seven Islands. 

The interior of the town does not at all corre- 
spond with its advantageous situation. The streets 
are narrow and ill-paved. The public buildings, with 
the exception of the new palace, mean ; and the 
private houses very small, and of such slight con- 
struction that the heat in summer is almost insup- 
portable ; while the inhabitants, like those of other 
fortified towns, have a long and tedious progress 
to make through arches, covered ways and fosses, 
before they can get out into a purer air. 

Both on this occasion and on a subsequent visit 
which I paid to Corfu on my return from Greece, the 
extreme heat of the weather and other circumstances 
prevented me from exploring the interior of the 
island, as I very much wished to have done. It is 
proclaimed on all hands to be rich in natural beau- 
ties ; and indeed some of the finest views and scenery 
that I ever saw, are to be found within half an hour's 
ride of the walls. 

In the northern and western districts the moun- 
tains are said to be lofty and precipitous, inter- 
spersed with sequestered and romantic glens and 
valleys. Towards the south they sink gradually into 
gentle slopes covered with vine and olive-trees. Oil 
is the chief article of produce, the wine being very 
indifferent, owing probably to the want of care and 
skill in the manufacture. The properties in the 
island are small, and the proprietors, most of whom 



19 



style themselves noble, are, generally speaking, very 
poor. The consequent want of capital prevents any 
improvements in cultivation ; and the population of 
the island is estimated only at forty thousand, eight 
or ten of which are contained in the city, whereas 
under a better system it might be capable of main- 
taining two or three times that number. 

The society of Corfu is extremely limited. The 
old nobility have been impoverished by the frequent 
revolutions which the islands have for the last twenty 
years experienced. Some have gone to seek service 
in foreign countries ; and the hospitality of those 
who remain at home, shows itself only in an occa- 
sional splendid entertainment, after which they re- 
lapse into the most private and parsimonious mode of 
life. Occasional "Societes" are held at the Govern- 
ment-house, and are frequented by the principal in- 
habitants, and by a few English civilians and officers 
of the garrison; but they are, to a stranger at least, 
exceedingly dull, the greater part of the company 
being seated round a large table playing at the fa- 
vourite but most insipid game of "trianda-mia" or 
one-and-thirty, a sort of long vingt-un. The inter- 
course indeed between the English and the natives 
is exceedingly limited, owing perhaps in part to 
that feeling of contempt for all foreigners, which 

forms a distinguishing feature in our national cha- 
ts o 

racter, and which is peculiarly annoying to the va- 
nity of the Greek. 

It has been observed, that the colonies and de- 
c 2 



20 



pendencies of free states are generally more harshly 
governed than those of despotic countries ; and it 
may be true perhaps of nations as well as of indi- 
viduals, that those most jealous of their own liber- 
ties and privileges are frequently the least tender of 
the rights of others. I do not think, however, that 
this remark can be fairly illustrated by a reference 
to the conduct of the English authorities in the 
Seven Islands ; for without supposing their admini- 
stration to have been essentially oppressive or cor- 
rupt^ sufficient causes may be found; in the " res 
dura et regni novitas," for the unpopularity, to use 
the mildest term, which at one period it certainly 
laboured under. 

The people of the Islands are a quick, clever, and 
artful race. They have much national vanity, — one 
foundation perhaps of national as well as of indivi- 
dual excellence # ; but which makes them of course 
jealous of foreign influence, and not very well 
pleased to see Englishmen filling almost all the of- 
fices of trust in the state. Yet when we consider 
the demoralization which must have been produced 
by the tyrannical and venal government of the Ve- 
netians, and which was not likely to be checked or 
diminished under French or Russian protection, we 
must admit the propriety of having placed every de- 
partment, and more particularly every one connected 
with the revenue, under a strict and vigilant super- 

* " La vertu n'iroit pas si loin, si la vanite ne lui tenoit com- 
pagnie." — Rochefoucault. 



21 



intendence. It seemed highly necessary also to 
abridge the feudal privileges of the nobility, and 
that licence of crime which even at a late period of 
the Venetian government existed to such a height, 
that a Corfiot noble was always surrounded by a 
set of bravos ready at his nod to commit any atrocity. 
The resumption too of the Church property excited 
of course great clamour among those who were 
interested in retaining it ; but on the other hand, the 
religious customs of the people were treated with a 
degree of respect which, however commendable, 
would scarcely be tolerated nearer home, and the 
pious Greek might be edified by the sight of a 
British garrison drawn out under arms to salute the 
bones of St. Spiridion*. 

That the prosperity of the Islands has increased 
since they have been under British protection can- 
not, I think, for a moment be doubted ; and the 
improvements that had taken place even during 
the three years which intervened between my first 
and second visit, were such as must force them- 
selves upon the attention of the most cursory ob- 
server. In 1818 the most ordinary articles of fo- 
reign manufacture were scarcely to be procured, 
and from the total want of inns, a stranger who 
did not happen to have an introduction to some 
member of the Government or some officer of the 
garrison, might run a very fair chance of passing 

* St. Spiridion is the patron saint of Corfu, and his bones are 
periodically carried about in grand procession. 



22 



the night of his arrival " a la belle etoile" In 1822 
there were several well supplied shops ; a large hotel 
had been opened in a fine situation on the Espla- 
nade : a new palace had arisen, built by native 
workmen, and ornamented with sculptures and bas- 
reliefs by a native artist # . An university had been 
founded; and what was perhaps scarcely less impor- 
tant, the Government was beginning to turn its 
attention to the state of the roads, and the esta- 
blishment of communications with the interior. 
That some abuses prevailed can scarcely be doubted, 
but they were not likely to come under the notice 
of a passing stranger; and the great attention and 
hospitality which, in common I believe with every 
other respectable traveller, I received from the En- 
glish authorities, might have propitiated a much 
more strenuous reformer than I profess to be. 

* Paulo Corcyrota, a pupil of Canova. 



23 



CHAPTER II. 

MOREA.— ATHENS. SMYRNA. 

It was our intention to have proceeded to Athens 
through Albania, Thessaly and Bceotia ; but the 
extreme heat of the weather induced us to prefer 
the more direct course by Patras and the gulf of 
Corinth. I did not at the time much regret this 
alteration in our plan, because I then thought that 
I should have a future opportunity of visiting those 
provinces. But delays of this kind are dangerous 
in countries so liable to political changes. When I 
was again in Greece three years afterwards, the de- 
struction of Ali Pasha's power had put a stop to all 
the facilities which that extraordinary man had af- 
forded to Europeans travelling through his territo- 
ries, and had in great degree diminished the in- 
terest of a tour of which himself and his court were 
among the most remarkable objects ; and the sub- 
sequent revolution has closed these countries for an 
indefinite period against all pacific travellers. 

In the afternoon of the 5th of August we sailed 
on board a Greek brig bound for Patras, and du- 
ring the remainder of the day coasted the south- 
eastern quarter of Corfu, which, though less moun- 
tainous and romantic than the northern division, 
is rich and well cultivated ; its woods, slopes, and 



24 



white farms, forming a pleasing contrast with the 
barren rocks and scattered villages of the Albanian 
coast, which the setting sun tinged with a deep 
purple hue. The next morning we were off Paxos, 
and the winds continuing very light throughout the 
day, we had leisure to contemplate the shores of 
Actium, and to indulge if we chose in sentimental 
reflection as we sailed under the rock of Leucadea. 
This celebrated promontory forms the southern ex- 
tremity of the island of Santa Maura, and termi- 
nates in an abrupt cliff well suited to be " the last 
resort of fruitless love." 

During the night we passed through the channel 
which separates Santa Maura from Ithaca, and the 
morning presented to us a magnificent view of sea, 
mountains, and islands. Cephalonia rose boldly 
on our right, with Zante and Cape Chiarenza in the 
distance. In front we saw the summits of Maenalus 
andTaygetus towering above the rest of the Morea; 
and on our left were the high and broken ridges of 
Acarnania and yEtolia, with the long range of pro- 
montories, shoals, and small islands which skirt the 
coast of western Greece. Among these Messalonghi 
is placed, near the entrance of the gulf of Patras. 
It was not seen from any part of our course ; and 
though the situation was pointed out to us by the 
sailors, an obscure sea-port did not excite much at- 
tention. Its name was not yet connected with the 
fate of that distinguished person who was among 
the first to set us the example of visiting these 



25 



classic regions, and whose genius has thrown over 
them a fresh enchantment. 

Every man will feel a little forlorn and solitary, 
when for the first time in his life he lands on the 
Turkish shores, when "he bids to Christian tongues 
a long adieu," and finds himself among a people 
whom he has been used to consider as almost savage. 
But his curiosity at the same time cannot fail to be 
highly gratified by the perfect novelty of the scene 
around him. The points of difference between other 
European nations bear no proportion to those in 
which they resemble each other; but here, a person 
coming from the nearest port seems to be entering 
a new world, and finds a total and striking change 
in the face of the country, the style of the build- 
ings, and the dress, manner, and general appearance 
of the inhabitants. An accidental circumstance too 
which occurred just as we arrived at Patras, served 
to remind us that we were no longer in a civilized 
country. An affray had taken place between the 
towns-people and the soldiers of the Bouluk-Bashi 
or governor. Several persons had been killed ; others 
were seen wandering about as if attempting to hide 
themselves in the gardens which surround the town : 
straggling shots were heard in all directions ; and we 
were not sorry to find ourselves safely lodged in the 
house of the English consul. It ought to be men- 
tioned however, as some compensation, that we 
were free from all those vexatious custom-house re- 



26 



searches which in other countries await the tired and 
exhausted passenger at the end of his voyage. 

The next day, August 8th, was employed in view- 
ing the little that there is worthy of notice at Pa- 
tras. The town is situated on a slope at the foot 
of Mount Voithia, the ancient Panachaicon, which 
shelters it on the eastern side. The castle, an old 
Venetian fortress to which events have since at- 
tracted the public attention, is at some distance, 
and higher up the mountain. Its defences consist 
only of a low wall flanked with towers, and it is 
commanded from several adjacent heights. Its 
long resistance therefore, can he attributed only to 
the very slender means of attack which the assail- 
ants were able to bring against it. A few capitals 
and other remains of antiquity are worked into the 
walls, On the beach, and at no great distance from 
the sea, is the church of St. Andrew, now in ruins ; 
and a well close by, serves to identify the spot as 
the site of an oracular temple of Ceres mentioned 
by Pausanias ; the religious veneration of the inha- 
bitants in this, as in many other instances, having 
been transferred from a goddess to a saint. 

The winds had favoured us so much in our last 
voyage, that we were encouraged to trust ourselves to 
them once more ; and on the 9th of August about 
noon, we embarked on board a small boat which we 
engaged to carry us up the Gulf to Corinth. The 
breeze was light but fair, and the sailors told us 



27 



that it would no doubt freshen in the evening, and 
that instead of three long and fatiguing days journey 
by land, we should reach our place of destination on 
the following morning. As they predicted the wind 
certainly freshened, but at the same time it changed, 
and on our approaching the Straits we had the mor- 
tification to see several vessels coming out of the 
Gulf with a fine breeze and a strong current in their 
favour ; while we were obliged to anchor under the 
Castle of the Morea, about eight miles from Patras. 
This large fortress, which like its neighbour on the 
opposite shore was formidable and important du- 
ring the wars of the Venetians and the Turks, has 
now become dilapidated and almost dismantled, but 
it has still a garrison. 

The wind relaxing a little at sun-set, we succeeded 
in passing the Straits, and came to an anchor under 
the point of Drepano. The next morning however 
it still continued to blow down the Gulf, and we 
stood across to Lepanto. That town is situated 
at the foot and on the side of a conical hill, and a 
wall flanked with square towers connects it with a 
ruinous Venetian castle which crowns the summit. 
We remained at anchor close to the shore during 
the greater part of the day, and towards the evening 
landed, and dined under a shady plane-tree, whose 
roots were washed by a beautifully clear stream. 
We then again set sail, hoping that with the assis- 
tance of the land-breeze which generally springs up 
at sun-set we might have made some progress ; but 



28 



we were once more disappointed; the wind still blew 
from the eastward, and when we asked our captain 
whether we could expect to reach Corinth while it 
continued in that quarter, he answered with much 
gravity, "A^ja o 020?," " If God pleases." After 
this reply, so much more devout than satisfactory, 
we determined to put back ; a few hours were suf- 
ficient to undo what it had taken us two days to 
perform; and in the morning of the 1 1th of August 
we relanded at the quay of Patras. 

Grown wiser by experience we now determined 
to proceed on our journey by land; and having hired 
horses and made the necessary preparations, we set 
out the next day before sun-rise in the following 
order of march. A Janissary dressed in a very gay 
Albanian costume led the way, and a little behind 
him rode the Suredjee or courier; we followed at 
some distance, and after us came four baggage- 
horses, with several attendants on foot. Two tall 
fierce-looking Candiote sailors with long guns on 
their shoulders who were going to Corinth, obtained 
permission to join our party ; and the procession 
was closed by a sumpter-horse laden with provisions 
and kitchen utensils, on the top of which was 
perched our fat Italian servant. 

The road led us at some distance from the sea 
along a narrow plain, bounded on the right by the 
declivities of Mount Voithia. The first part of the 
way was through currant-grounds, and the vintage 
being at its height, the appearance of the country 



29 



was very cheerful. The peasants were all at work, 
and we continually saw large quantities of the fruit 
spread out on the ground to dry, and when seen from 
a distance looking like purple patches in the land- 
scape. The currant of Zante and of the Morea has 
no resemhlance to the fruit which bears the same 
name in our gardens, and is nothing more than a 
small black grape of a luscious and almost sickly 
flavour. It grows in small bunches upon dwarf 
vines, which are not supported by any props, but 
permitted to trail along the ground. 

As we advanced we found the plain less cultivated, 
and frequently intersected by wide channels worn 
by the mountain torrents, and dry at this season of 
the year. The vines now disappeared; but their 
place was supplied by a profusion of shrubs and 
evergreens ; cypress, lignum vita?, myrtle, arbutus, 
lentisk, besides many others with which we were 
unacquainted, were grouped together in all the na- 
tural wildness of a forest ; and oleanders of a size 
and luxuriance unknown in northern climates, and 
now in full bloom, sprung up in the beds of the ri- 
vulets and from among the shingles on the sea beach. 
The rocks on our right in some places approached 
very near to the shore ; and as the road wound 
round their projecting masses, a fresh landscape 
continually presented itself. 

After about six hours ride through this beautiful 
scenery, we reached the khan of Lampiri, which 
stands on the shore of a small cove, and halted 



30 



there during the extreme heat of the day. A Khan 
or inn in the Morea is a quadrangular walled inclo- 
sure. Two sides are occupied by low huts, com- 
prising the kitchen, the henroost, and the stable ; 
and in one corner is a higher square building, the 
upper story of which is accessible by stone steps on 
the outside, and is appropriated to the accommoda- 
tion of travellers — if that word can be applied to a 
room without a single article of furniture. In 
another corner there is sometimes a high chiosk or 
observatory, raised upon four poles and covered 
with thatch, where the khangi or innkeeper smokes 
his pipe, and looks out for the approaching travel- 
ler, though he does not always condescend to leave 
his seat in order to welcome him on his arrival : 
that office is left to an inferior attendant, who pro- 
ceeds to sweep out the chamber and spread some 
dirty mats on the floor. Fowls, eggs, rice, fire and 
water, are the only things that can be procured ; 
and those who wish for luxuries, will be wise to 
come provided with them. In fine weather how- 
ever, a khan is preferable to an inhabited house in 
a town or village, as it is generally more free from 
dirt, and from certain inmates which are extremely 
annoying to an unpractised traveller. 

From Lampiri to Vostitza is a less picturesque 
ride than the last stage. The road runs along 1 the 
beach, and the mountains on the right are screened 
by cliffs of no great height. Vostitza stands on the 
site of the ancient /Egium, one of the most con- 



31 



siderable places in Achaia. A large fountain which 
identified its situation was choked up by an earth- 
quake, which had ravaged the country about a year 
before, and had totally changed the appearance of 
the shore and destroyed great part of the modern 
town. It spared however a magnificent plane-tree 
which stands on the beach, and is celebrated through 
all this part of the country for its extraordinary size. 
We had not an opportunity of measuring it ; but 
according to Sir William Gell its trunk is sixty-eight 
feet in circumference, and its branches extend sixty 
feet on each side. 

Our horses were by this time so much fatigued 
that it was necessary to change them ; and after 
enduring for about two hours the delay of a Turkish 
post-house, we were provided with others, and set 
out again on our journey by moonlight. We tra- 
velled for some distance through a thick wood of 
oaks and evergreens, and afterwards came to some 
marshy ground intersected by a deep rivulet. Here 
we wandered about for a long time seeking in vain 
for a passage, till our guides at length confessed 
that in attempting a shorter road they had com- 
pletely lost their way, and could be of no further 
use to us. We therefore spread our mattresses and 
bivouacked for the night under an olive-tree. 

Early in the morning some peasants directed us 
into the road, and in about three hours we reached 
the deserted khan at Acrata, where we rested till 
evening ; when we resumed our journey through 



32 



scenery of the same picturesque character, but va- 
ried by frequent chasms in the rocks and passes 
among the mountains, which opened views on our 
right into the interior. On the left the gulf of 
Corinth lay at our feet ; beyond it the mountains 
of /Etolia and Phocis stretched along in an unin- 
terrupted range^ crowned by the double summit 
of Parnassus, and terminated by the promontory 
of Geranion, which runs out boldly into the sea at 
the upper end of the Gulf. We now left the 
mountains further to our right ; and the khan of 
Kamares, where we halted, stands on the edge of an 
extensive plain. Our approach to it was guided 
by some immense firs on the declivity of the hills. 
It seemed at a distance as if the forests which 
clothed them were all in flames, and the effect was 
extremely striking amid the calm of a cloudless 
night. It is a frequent practice in Greece and Asia 
Minor to set fire to the woods ; the fine oak timber 
whose wanton destruction we might otherwise 
deplore, is but of little value from the want of all 
means of conveyance, and the ashes are supposed 
to manure the ground and improve the pasturage. 

On leaving Kamares the next morning, we caught 
a distant view of the citadel of Corinth, and soon 
afterwards arrived in the plain which stretches out 
to the west and south-west of that city. A little to 
the right of our road we saw Basilico, the ancient 
Sicyon, situated on a rocky eminence at about an 
hour's journey from the sea. Of the walls which 



33 



are supposed to be of high antiquity, very few traces 
remain. There is a small Greek theatre and stadium, 
and several fragments of Roman architecture are 
scattered around. 

We reached Corinth in the evening, and daylight 
just served us to take a rapid view of the only con- 
siderable relic of antiquity which it now possesses, 
consisting of seven columns of the Doric order, 
which formed part of the peristyle of a building, 
supposed by some to be the Sisypheum, and by 
others the temple of Diana. They are of porous 
stone, and were originally encrusted with a red ce- 
ment, some traces of which still remain. When 
Chandler visited Corinth, and even down to a much 
later period, eleven of them were still standing, but 
the Turkish proprietor took down four, to employ 
the materials in rebuilding his house. Their pro- 
portions, which differ from the other specimens of 
the order now existing in Greece, and approach 
nearer to those of Paestum, are supposed to indicate 
a very early period of Doric architecture. 

The situation of the "bimaris Corinthus" is well 
known. From the lofty detached rock on which 
the Acropolis is placed, the ground slopes gradually 
westward to the shores of the Gulf, where was situ- 
ated the port of Lechseum, the position of which is 
now distinguished by a few fishing-huts. On the 
eastern side of the Isthmus, at the head of the Sa- 
ronic gulf, was Cenchrea, which may be recognized 
in the modern name of Kenchres. The vicinity of 

D 



34 



these two ports made the transit of merchandize 
extremely easy, and Corinth would naturally be 
the centre of communication between eastern and 
western Greece. It has frequently been proposed 
to cut through the Isthmus, and the Venetians had 
actually begun to put this project into execution. 
Their works are still to be traced ; but they were 
suspended in consequence of the representations of 
one of their generals, who declared that the com- 
pletion of them would exhaust the whole wealth of 
the republic. To a modern engineer the task would 
probably appear much less formidable. 

The governor of Corinth at this time was Chamil 
Bay, one of those large proprietors who still re- 
tained a sort of hereditary jurisdiction in the Turkish 
empire, and who exercised his power with justice 
and moderation. His person and family were re- 
spected when the Turks were afterwards driven out 
of the Morea, and he was safely conveyed to Asia 
in an English man-of-war. 

No person was permitted at this time to pass the 
Isthmus without an order from the Pasha of the 
Morea, who resided at Tripolitza. We were not 
provided with this necessary document; and not be- 
ing disposed to wait for it, determined to proceed 
by sea to Athens. After resting therefore for two 
or three hours at the house of Doctor Andrea 
Simonetti, an old Italian physician, we set out again 
by moonlight ; and traversing a part of the flat sur- 
face of the Isthmus in a north-eastern direction, 



35 



descended into a shrubby glen, which brought us 
to the sequestered little bay and port of Kenchres, 
where we found a party of English travellers wrapped 
up in their cloaks and sleeping on the beach. 

As we were impatient to reach Athens, we did 
not disturb their repose, but immediately engaged 
a boat and sailed about midnight. The moon shone 
brightly, and the winds were as favourable as we 
could desire. At sun-rise we were off Salamis, and 
after an hour or two of calm, the breeze again sprung 
up and carried us gently along its bushy shores. 
The gulf of yEgina has not so grand a character as 
that of Corinth, the mountains of Attica not being 
so bold nor so lofty as those of Phocis ; and it was 
not till we nearly approached the coast that we began 
to distinguish the graceful outlines of Pentelicus and 
Hymettus. The Acropolis next presented itself, with 
the pointed summit of Anchesmus on one side, and 
the hill of the Museum on the other; and while our 
attention was fixed on these interesting objects our 
bark glided gently into the Piraeus. 

The city of Athens is about five miles from the 
harbour, and the approach to it is through a large 
forest of olive-trees, as venerable from their age 
as they are picturesque from their size and form. 
Through them we caught occasional views of the 
western front of the Parthenon, which is but little 
dilapidated ; and as the more ruinous parts of the 
building together with the whole of the modern 
town were completely screened from view, there 

d 2 



36 



was nothing to prevent the imagination from 
bounding over intermediate ages, and transporting 
itself uninterruptedly to the days of Pericles. 

At about half a mile from the town the road 
emerges from the olive-grove, and the temple of 
Theseus presents itself. We rode round the foot 
of the gentle eminence on which that beautiful 
and almost perfect monument is placed, and soon 
afterwards entered the town by the north-eastern 
gate, and halted at the house of M. Logotheti, the 
English consul. That gentleman received us with 
great politeness, and procured us a lodging at the 
house of a Greek named Demetrius Zographos, 
who had formerly been in Lord Byron's service, 
and who since distinguished himself as a captain 
in the war of independence. His mind seemed 
indeed to be already awakened to the ancient glories 
of his country : the walls of his very humble man- 
sion were studded with mutilated inscriptions ; frag- 
ments of statues, friezes and capitals, lay in the 
court, and his four squalling children bore the 
names of Themistocles, Alcibiades, Pericles, and 
Aspasia. 

As it was my good fortune at a later period of 
my tour to make a long stay at Athens, I will re- 
serve for a future Chapter any further remarks on 
that delightful city. During my first visit the heat 
of the weather was so intense, that as soon as I had 
taken a rapid view of the most remarkable objects, 
I was glad to seek a milder climate on the Ionian 



3/ 



coast, and determined to accompaffy my fellow- 
traveller, who was proceeding to Smyrna. 

We sailed from the Piraeus on the 20th of August 
at midnight on board a boat bound for Samos, one 
of the class called Saccolevas, without deck and 
carrying an unwieldy fore-and-aft sail. A favour- 
able breeze wafted us down the gulf of iEgina ; and 
in the morning we passed under the cliffs of Cape 
Colonna, and saw the picturesque remains of the 
temple of Minerva Sunias. The wind veered when 
we came off the southern point of Zea ; and after 
much fruitless tacking, during' which, partly from 
the awkwardness of the crew, and partly from the 
unmanageable character of the sails, we very nar- 
rowly escaped running ashore on some rocks : we 
at last put into a small cove in the channel which 
separates that island from Thermia. We had not 
been there long, before three small boats stood in 
towards us : as they approached, we observed that 
each of them had eight or ten men on board entirely 
without clothing ; and on inquiring the cause of 
this primitive appearance, which at first rather sur- 
prised us, we found that they were sponge-fishers. 
They moored their boats at the entrance of the 
cove, and we were for some time amused with see- 
ing them dive from the rocks, precipitating them- 
selves from a great height, and remaining a long 
time under water. Their search, however, was not 
successful ; and after a while they dressed themselves 
and came to an anchor close to our boat. A little 



38 



flotilla was thus collected ; the crews soon dispersed 
themselves over the hills in quest of wood and water, 
and from the activity hut perfect seclusion of the 
scene, we might have fancied ourselves a party of 
corsairs lying in wait for their prey. 

We sailed again about midnight, and at day- 
break had weathered the northern point of Ther- 
mia. Soon afterwards we passed Syra on our right, 
and at some distance on our left saw the " Gyarae 
scopula," recognized in the modern name of loura. 
The wind was not very favourable, and there was a 
heavy swell ; but in the course of the day we made 
the coast of Tino, and passed near enough to ob- 
serve the numerous white villages which are ranged 
along the southern side of that populous island. At 
sun-set we passed through the strait which divides 
it from Myconae, and in the morning were off 
Nicaria, the ancient Icaria, and saw before us the 
lofty rocks at the western extremity of Samos, and 
the mountains of Asia Minor beyond them. 

Vathy' (|3a^y),the principal port of Samos, whither 
our boat was bound, is situated, as its name implies, 
in a deep bay, the entrance of which faces the north ; 
and as the winds in the Archipelago at this time 
of year blow almost regularly from that quarter, 
we were anxious to be landed at some place where 
we might run less risk of detention. After much 
persuasion we at last prevailed on our crew to de- 
viate from their course, and they set us ashore on 
the beach, at a spot where a retired valley opened 



39 



to the sea on the northern shore of the gulf of 
Ephesus, now called the gulf of Scala Nova. Having 
procured horses, we proceeded to a neighbouring 
village, named by the Turks Giaour-keui or Infidels- 
town, from its being inhabited almost entirely by 
Greek colonists from the Morea, where we halted 
at a little coffee-house, the master of which, as is 
often the case in Turkey, practised also as a 
barber. 

About midnight we set out again with fresh 
horses, and rode for about two hours by moonlight 
through a thick forest, when in passing a defile 
between high sand-banks, my steed, which was none 
of the most active, stumbled and fell, and the point 
of the sword which I wore sticking into the ground, 
the hilt was driven violently against my side. I 
did not at first feel much hurt ; but we had not ad- 
vanced many yards before pain and faintness com- 
pelled me to dismount, and I soon found that I was 
quite disabled from proceeding any further, though 
I could not tell what was the injury I had received. 
On asking our guide whether there was any surgeon 
in the neighbourhood, he shook his head, and said 
that there was none to be found nearer than Smyrna, 
which was thirty miles distant : but as I had ob- 
served the skill with which our host at Giaour-keui 
smoothed the chins of his customers, it occurred to 
me that he might probably have some knowledge 
of what was once thought a sister art, and I dis- 
patched a messenger in quest of him. After waiting 



40 



for nearly four hours, during which a severe pain 
in my side and extreme difficulty of breathing led 
me seriously to suppose that the tour of Greece 
and the journey of life were for me speedily to 
terminate, the barber-surgeon arrived ; and I desired 
to be immediately cupped on the part affected. He 
performed the operation after the rude manner of 
the country, by wounding the skin in various places 
with a blunt razor, and drawing the blood through 
a horn. This process, though far from agreeable, 
having given me some relief, my companions rode 
forward to procure further medical assistance, leav- 
ing me to repose under a spreading walnut-tree in 
the forest for the remainder of the day. In the 
evening I was gratified by the arrival of a friend 
from Smyrna, who kindly came to meet me, bring- 
ing with him two attendants and an ass ; and on 
this humble palfrey, with one of the men on each 
side supporting me, I was conveyed to his country- 
house at Sedikeui about sixteen miles distant. 
Here I was attended by an English surgeon, and 
at the end of three days was well enough to be re- 
moved to Smyrna; but it was three weeks before I 
could use any exercise, and as many months before 
I completely recovered from the effects of the blow. 

I was fortunate however in the place of my de- 
tention, for Smyrna has the advantage, so rare in 
these countries, of a cheerful society, and its situ- 
ation is as remarkable for its natural beauties as it 
is well adapted to commercial purposes. The bay in 




41 



which it is placed, at the extremity of a large gulf, 
is capacious enough to hold all the navies of Eu- 
rope ; and it is completely protected on the north, 
the east, and the south, by lofty mountains of varied 
and picturesque forms. On the west only the land 
is low; but as the winds from that quarter are sel- 
dom of long continuance, the sea is hardly ever 
sufficiently rough to occasion any danger or incon- 
venience to the ships at anchor. The entrance to 
the bay is from the south-west, and is so narrow 
that it may be completely protected by batteries. 
The Turks have a castle there ; but, like most of 
the fortresses in their hands, it is dilapidated, and 
almost useless for the purposes of defence, though 
a garrison is still kept up. In consequence of the 
deposit of sand brought down by the river Her m us 
which flows into the upper end of the Gulf, the pas- 
sage is gradually though almost imperceptibly grow- 
ing narrower, and the bay itself, like that of Ephesus, 
may in the course of ages become a dry plain. 

The city is built on the eastern side of the bay, 
partly on a spot of level ground by the sea-side, 
and partly on the declivity of a steep and high hill, 
the ancient Pagus, on the top of which are the re- 
mains of a large castle. The upper part of the town 
is inhabited chiefly by Turks, the lower is occupied 
by the bazars, the custom-house, and other com- 
mercial buildings, and by the residences of the Jews 
and Christians. The Franks have a quarter to 
themselves, which consists of a long narrow street 



42 



running along the shore for a considerable distance. 
The houses on the side towards the sea have ware- 
houses attached to them, and each has its separate 
wharf at the water's edge. The warehouses are 
solidly built of stone., vaulted and fire-proof, and 
the terraces on the top, which are on a level with 
the principal floors, are very convenient places for 
taking exercise, especially in times of plague., when 
the inhabitants are confined to their houses. Many 
of them have a Kiosk at the end overlooking 
the sea. The houses communicate with the street 
by large folding gates which open into a court : — 
they are only one story high; narrow in proportion 
to their depths and have almost all a long corridor., 
called in Turkish an Hayaht, running from the 
principal apartment which looks into the street to 
the terrace at the back. All the rooms, except the 
kitchen or offices which are on the ground-floor, 
open into the corridor ; one side of which has 
windows looking into the court. These are closed 
only with Venetian blinds, and the houses are con- 
sequently cold in winter; while on the other hand, 
being built chiefly with wood and unburnt bricks 
covered with stucco, they are as little qualified to 
resist the heat of summer. 

The present importance of Smyrna as a com- 
mercial station may be dated from the decline of 
Aleppo, where the chief European factories in the 
Turkish empire were formerly established, and its 
fine harbour and favourable situation for collecting 



43 



many important articles of native produce will 
always make it the emporium of Asia Minor. From 
England it imports cotton goods in large quantities, 
cotton twist for the home manufactures, lead, iron, 
tin, and colonial produce of all kinds. Woollen 
cloths it receives chiefly from France and Ger- 
many, those of English manufacture being too ex- 
pensive for the Turkish market ; and glass-ware, 
coarse cutlery and paper, come from Trieste and 
the Italian ports. 

The staple articles of export are dried fruits, of 
which from twenty to thirty cargoes annually are 
shipped to London and other British ports, and 
several to Trieste. The figs come from Nazli and 
Eidin-Guzel-hissar, on the Meander. They are 
brought to market in a green state, and undergo 
the process of packing, which is not the most de- 
licate, in the merchants' warehouses. The raisins 
come chiefly from VourM and Carabournoii in the 
gulf of Smyrna. Considerable quantities of wool 
and cotton are also exported ; the latter chiefly to 
France, as the English spinners prefer that of Ame- 
rican growth. The raw silk of Brusa, the Turkey 
carpets (which are made at a place in the interior 
called Ushak), and the mohair yarn of Angora, all 
find their way to Smyrna. Opium is brought from 
Afioum Kara-hissar, about five days journey to the 
eastward ; and the Americans take great quantities 
of it to China. To this catalogue may be added 
various other drugs and gums, sponges, madder 



44 



roots, and the cups of the Valaniah acorn for dyeing. 
The trade may be considered advantageous to En- 
gland, as she sends chiefly manufactured articles and 
receives raw produce in return. 

Almost every European nation has a consul and 
factory at Smyrna, and there are probably from 
thirty to forty Frank * commercial establishments, 
great and small. Among these the English, if not 
the most numerous, yet had at this time a decided 
preponderance in wealth and extent of business. 
The supply of cotton manufactures, which are in 
great demand, was almost exclusively in their hands : 
and the American trade, which is of considerable 
importance, was conducted chiefly by English 
houses ; as it is only very lately that a commercial 
treaty has been concluded between the United States 
and the Turks. The trade with Trieste and the 
Italian ports was chiefly carried on by Greek mer- 
chants, who had purchased from the government 
the same privileges which the Franks possess, and 
were called Firmanlis or Baratlis. Most of their 
establishments, however, were broken up at the 
time of the Greek revolution. 

The privileges which the Franks enjoy under the 
treaties or capitulations as they are called, made at 
different periods with the Porte, are very extensive 

* Frank in Turkey is a general name for European Christians 
not subjects of the Forte. All subjects of the Porte, not Maho- 
metans, are called Rayahs, and are liable to the Haratch or 
poll-tax. 



45 



and valuable *. They are governed entirely by their 
own laws; and amenable only to their own consuls : 
they are exempted from all tribute and taxes, ex- 
cept only a simple and moderate duty on exports 
and imports, which never exceeds three per cent on 
the value. No law-suit between them and Turkish 
subjects can be heard or decided, except the consul 
or his interpreter be present at the Mehkemeh or 
court, as a check to the Mollah-^ who presides 
there. Without this precaution, it is thought that 
should the dispute be between a Frank and a Turk, 
the judge might lean to the side of the true believer, 
Should it be between the Frank and a Rayah subject, 
he would probably say to himself, ec one dog is as 
good as another," and give his decision according 
to the general practice of the Turkish courts, in 
favour of the suitor who paid the highest fee. 

Smyrna was long governed by a Motsellim, an 
officer of inferior degree to a Pasha, who was as- 
sisted by a council of eight of the principal Turkish 
inhabitants called Ayans, headed by the Ayan-bashi 
or president of the council. The office of Motsellim 

* The first commercial treaty between the English and the 
Turks was made in the time of Elizabeth, and various supplemen- 
tary articles were added in subsequent reigns. Among others the 
Sultan Mahomet IV. gave the King of England leave " to purchase 
in years of plenty, two cargoes of figs and raisins for the Use of 
his own kitchen." The capitulations now in force bear date in the 
reign of Charles II. 

t The Mollah is a judge of superior rank to the Cadi, and is 
stationed in all the most considerable cities, 



46 



was long held by the well-known Kiatib-Oglou, 
who had risen from an inferior mercantile situa- 
tion, but who had so firmly established his power, 
that during the early part of the reign of the pre- 
sent Sultan he was able to defy the authority of the 
Porte. Like almost all Turkish governors, how- 
ever, who affect independence, he at last met his 
fate by the bow-string. He was a man of profli- 
gate character, and cruel and tyrannical to his own 
subjects ; but his fall was regretted by the Franks, 
to whom he was very partial, and who enjoyed the 
tranquillity produced by the strictness of his police. 
At the breaking out of the Greek revolution, it 
was found necessary to employ the strong arm of a 
despotic officer to preserve order; and Smyrna was 
placed under the command of a Pasha. 

But whatever the form of the government, its 
administration has been uniformly favourable to 
Europeans, who have on all occasions, except during 
some temporary insurrections, when the mob got 
the better of the constituted authorities, received 
the greatest protection and encouragement : and it 
may safely be affirmed, that no community in the 
world enjoys a greater degree of freedom than that 
of the Franks residing at Smyrna, — no individual 
being ever molested except he be guilty of some 
violent outrage against the habits or feelings of the 
Turks. 

Nor is this the only circumstance which renders 
Smyrna by far the most eligible place of residence 



47 



in the Levant. The climate is healthy and in ge- 
neral temperate. It is only for ahout three months 
in the summer, June, July and August, that the heat 
is oppressive, the average height of the thermometer 
being then about 85°; but even this is tempered 
during the day-time by a strong and refreshing west- 
erly wind called the Inbat, which sets in regularly 
about ten o'clock A.M., and continues to blow till 
six or seven in the evening. The cold is never suffi- 
ciently severe for the snow to lie on the ground. The 
houses have fire-places ; but the Levantines gene- 
rally prefer warming themselves with the tandour. 
This is a deal-table, under which, on a platform 
about three inches from the ground, a brazier of red 
hot charcoal is placed. The inside of the machine is 
lined with tin plates to prevent its catching fire, and 
the whole is covered with a thick cotton quilt, called 
a paploma, large enough to be drawn over the knees 
of the persons who sit round. They sometimes 
indeed pull it up to their chins, which has a very 
odd appearance ; and a stranger who should pay a 
winter visit in Smyrna, and find the master and 
mistress of the house so enveloped, would be apt 
at first sight to think himself an intruder. 

All the necessaries and many of the luxuries of 
life are to be had at Smyrna, cheap and in abundance. 
Meat is as tolerable as it generally is in hot coun- 
tries : there is a variety of excellent fish : and the 
mountains and forests in the neighbourhood afford 
an ample supply of game. The gardens round the 



48 



town produce oranges, lemons, grapes, and many 
other fruits ; and the Franks are allowed by the 
capitulations to make wine for their own consump- 
tion ; a privilege at variance with the religious 
scruples of the Turks, and which they therefore 
deny to their own Christian subjects, — except on 
payment of a heavy excise. 

The society of Smyrna is confined almost en- 
tirely to the Frank residents, who mix very little 
with the other inhabitants of the country. They 
form however of themselves a numerous body, not 
less perhaps than three or four hundred, which is 
frequently increased by travellers, and by officers of 
Frank men-of-war, which the harbour is never long 
without. Their mode of life and amusements are 
very much like those of France or Italy. The prin- 
cipal place of meeting is the club-house, or Casino 
as it is called, where there are handsome rooms ap- 
propriated to newspapers, billiards, and conversation, 
and where balls are held once a week during the 
Carnival. At these there is said to be a consider- 
able display of beauty and attraction, and Smyrna 
may boast of having given a peeress both to the 
French and English court. The Frank ladies adopt 
universally the French fashions ; the Greeks have 
a costume of their own, which is remarkable for the 
elegance of the head-dress. 

There are Protestant chapels attached both to the 
English and Dutch consulates, and two conventual 
churches belonging to the Capucin and Cioccolante 



49 



friars. The Catholics, especially the ladies, as in 
all other southern countries, are very devout, and 
take great pleasure in the fetes and gay ceremonies 
of their religion. 

Almost all the considerable merchants have coun- 
try-houses, where they spend the summer months. 
The French live chiefly at the village of Bournabat, 
which is at the head of the bay about ten miles 
northward of the town; the English at Bujar, about 
five or six miles to the east ; and the Dutch have 
their head-quarters at Sedi-keui, about ten miles to 
the south. Many of these villas are well provided 
with European comforts, and have gardens and 
pleasure-grounds laid out in the style of the different 
nations to which their proprietors belong. 



E 



50 



CHAPTER III. 

ASIA MINOR. CONSTANTINOPLE. 

I left Smyrna on the 29th of September, accom- 
panied by Mr. James Brant, an English merchant 
whose hospitable house had been my home during 
my stay there, and who like myself was going to 
Constantinople. 

After crossing the river Meles and passing for 
some distance through olive and pomegranate 
groves, we arrived in the plain of Hadgilah, a retired 
spot almost shut in by mountains which branch off 
from the high ridge of Tahtahli, the ancient Tmolus. 
It is scattered over with groups of large trees, 
which give it very much the appearance of an En- 
glish park, and nearly conceal from view the plea- 
sant little village from which it takes its name. 
Crossing it we arrived at Cavacli Dereh, or "The 
valley of poplars," near which is a coffee-house 
placed on the ascent of the mountain, and com- 
manding a most beautiful view of the city, the bay, 
and the surrounding country. Here we halted and 
took leave of a numerous party of friends, who 
according to the ancient custom of the East had 
accompanied us thus far on our way. Our own 
cavalcade consisted of eight horses for ourselves, 
attendants, and baggage, which we hired at Smyrna 
for the whole journey. 



51 



On leaving the coffee-house we proceeded through 
a narrow pass to the opposite side of the mountain, 
and soon arrived at Nymphia, a pretty village sur- 
rounded by gardens and orchards, and in the neigh- 
bourhood of some romantic scenery. The Greek 
emperors occasionally resided there, and a large 
deserted building is still called the palace. It is now 
chiefly celebrated for its fruits, especially for cherries 
which are not found in other parts of the country ; 
and at the season when they ripen it is a frequent 
place of resort for parties of pleasure from Smyrna. 

At a short distance from the village, in a deep 
ravine overshadowed by majestic walnut- and plane- 
trees, a rivulet takes its rise from some transparent 
springs, and spreading out when it reaches the 
plain into a wider channel, flows in a northern di- 
rection to j oin the Hermus . We had a most beautiful 
ride along its course for several miles. The thickets 
of brushwood and evergreens on its banks, and 
the oleanders which sprung up to a great height 
from its pebbly bed, formed a foreground of the 
richest colours, beyond which we had a full view of 
the bold and lofty ridge of Mount Sipylus, the fabled 
scene of the woes of Niobe, which from its remark- 
able form serves as a landmark over a vast extent 
of country. 

At a village called the Derwend we quitted the 
course of the river, and took a more eastern direc- 
tion through a tract of country sloping gradually 
from the northern side of Tmolus to the plain of 

e 2 



52 



the Hermus, which we saw stretching out before 
us to the north and east, till bounded by mountains 
faintly visible in the remote distance. It was 
nearly midnight when we arrived at Kassabah, and 
we had some difficulty in procuring a small dirty 
room in a crowded khan. 

September 30th. — In the morning we walked 
round the town, which is large, containing we were 
told from forty to fifty thousand inhabitants, — in the 
proportion of twelve Turks to one Christian. Only 
two Franks resided there, one of them a physician. 
Fruit is the staple article of produce, and the Kas- 
sabah melons especially are very much prized. They 
are longer than the common sort, approaching more 
to the shape of a cucumber : their skin is quite 
smooth ; they are of a deep red colour within, and 
certainly surpass in flavour any that I ever tasted. 

After riding for about five hours along the plain 
of the Hermus in an eastern direction from Kassa- 
bah, we arrived at Sardis, having passed several 
tumuli on our way. This celebrated city was situ- 
ated partly on the plain and partly on the slope of a 
rocky hill detached from the range of Tmolus. It 
occupied a large space of ground, and its remains 
are very considerable and of various periods, as it 
was several times destroyed and rebuilt. One of the 
most remarkable is a large oblong building, with 
very thick walls composed of alternate but unequal 
layers of rough stone and of hard red brick, which 
is vulgarly called the house of Croesus, but which is 



53 



probably of no higher antiquity than the Roman 
empire. Another large building near it, which is 
recognized by its circular end as having been a 
Christian church, is constructed with massive piers 
formed of immense hewn stones without cement, 
and with arches and vaults of brickwork springing 
from them. There are several smaller buildings in 
different degrees of preservation, and the ground is 
strewed with fragments of columns and masonry. 
The theatre was placed on the side of the hill, and 
is clearly distinguishable, though the seats are totally 
destroyed. The arches under the proscenium still 
remain, and one side of it seems to have opened 
upon a stadium of considerable length. 

The base of the hill is washed by the Pactolus, 
which flows from a ravine in the mountain and 
falls into the Hermus. Its bed was now almost dry, 
but its sands contain a number of glittering par- 
ticles, which probably gave rise to the story of their 
auriferous quality. On its banks are the remains 
of the temple of Cybele, one of the most celebrated 
in Asia Minor. When Chandler visited Sardis five 
columns of the portico were standing, but two only 
now remain, and they are buried in the ground to 
nearly half their height. They are fluted for a short 
space below the capitals, the rest of the shafts being 
plain, — a peculiarity which has been thought to in- 
dicate that they were never finished # . 

* See Mr. Coekerell's observations on this temple in Colonel 
Leake's Tour in Asia Minor. 



54 



The summit of the hill was crowned by a very 
large fortress, but the earth being of a loose texture 
has crumbled away from the foundation, and the 
greater part of the wall has fallen down. The small 
detached portions which are still standing, overhang 
in some places the brow of the hill, and will pro- 
bably soon share the general ruin. They are of 
great thickness : many fragments of architecture 
and sculpture are worked into them, and several in- 
scriptions still remain. The castle commands a 
varied and extensive view, on one side looking 
towards Mount Tmolus, on the other over the vast 
range of level country which is watered by the 
Hermus and its tributary streams. 

This fertile district, anciently called the Hyrcanian 
plain, formed in recent times a part of the domains 
of the Karasman or Kara Osman Oglou, one of 
those powerful families which for many genera- 
tions exercised a sort of feudal authority in Asia 
Minor. Their territory extended from Magnesia 
to Brusa ; and their wealth, if report may be 
credited, rivalled that of the Lydian kings. Their 
government was popular ; they maintained a strict 
police, and encouraged agriculture and commerce. 
Hadgi Osman Aga, the last of the race who quietly 
enjoyed his ancient possessions, was much esteemed 
by the Franks of Smyrna, to whom on several oc- 
casions he had rendered essential services. At his 
death, (early in the reign of the present Sultan,) the 
Porte, which had long been jealous of these heredi- 



55 



tary and almost independent jurisdictions, and had 
already suppressed several of them, seized upon his 
property, banished his successor to some distant 
government, and placed his domains like other 
provinces of the empire under the administration 
of a Pasha. The policy of this change may be 
doubted, and the country which had flourished 
under its native masters will probably in the course 
of time become impoverished and depopulated by 
the exactions of transient governors. This has been 
the case almost universally throughout the Turkish 
empire, and here a change for the worse was said 
to be already perceptible. The inhabitants certainly 
regretted their old masters ; and whenever they told 
us of any act of oppression on the part of the go 
vernment, or of any robbery or murder, they gene- 
rally concluded by saying u It was not thus in the 
time of Karasman Ogloii." 

The village of Sart, as it is now called, consists 
of about fifty miserable cottages placed on a steep 
bank on the eastern side of the Pactolus, in one of 
which we were lodged for the night. The inhabi- 
tants are all Mahometans ; this seat of the primitive 
church being now without a single disciple. 

October 1st. — We directed our course northward 
over the plain, and crossed the Hermus, whose 
stream at this season occupied but a narrow chan- 
nel, and scarcely came up to our horses' knees, 
though its winter bed is at least three hundred feet 
wide and six or eight deep. On the opposite bank 



56 



we passed through a low marshy tract covered with 
dwarf shrubs and osiers, among which we sprung 
some francolins, birds which I had not seen before. 
They are about the size and colour of grouse, and 
their flavour is said to be very delicate. We passed 
also in this neighbourhood several encampments of 
the Urukhs, or Turkmen, who at the close of sum- 
mer drive their flocks and herds to pasture on the 
fertile banks of the Hermus. Their tents, or rather 
booths, are exceedingly slight, consisting only of 
an awning of coarse black cloth supported by a few 
poles. Like the Bedouins of Arabia they have 
no fixed residence, but migrate according to the 
season of the year. 

After quitting the thicket we passed a little vil- 
lage called Bozarli, and came upon a rising down 
covered with tumuli of various magnitudes. This 
was the burying-place of the Lydian kings ; and the 
largest of the barrows is no doubt the tomb of 
Halyattes, the curious history of which is recorded 
by Herodotus, who considered it the most remark- 
able work in the world after the pyramids and the 
walls of Babylon # . He fixes its circumference at 
six stadia ; and as it took me a quarter of an hour 
to walk round its base, his measurement is probably 
correct. It is interesting to an English traveller to 
find in this distant country a mode of sepulture to 
which he is so familiar at home, and to trace the 



* See Clio, 93. 



57 

parentage of the ancient Lydians to his own Celtic- 
ancestors. 

About an hours ride from this cemetery brought 
us to the Gygaean lake, a large sheet of water sur- 
rounded by gentle hills. Great quantities of wild- 
fowl started from among the reeds and osiers as 
we rode along its shore, and the tufts of rushes 
which rose from the shallow water at its edges were 
covered with shoals of tortoises. We halted for a 
short time at Gaiserli, a village at its further ex- 
tremity, and then proceeded to Marmara, a pleasant 
town situated near the hills which skirt the northern 
side of the plain. 

The heat since we left Smyrna had been very 
oppressive : this day the thermometer was at 86° in 
the shade. We lodged for the night at a comfort- 
able khan. 

October 2nd. — Leaving Marmara we proceeded 
in a northern direction through a valley among 
gentle hills, and after a few miles came out upon 
another of those extensive plains which are charac- 
teristic features of Asia Minor. It is watered by 
the Hyllus, which we crossed, and soon afterwards 
came in sight of Ak-hissar the Thyatira of antiquity. 
The approach to a town in this part of Asiatic 
Turkey is generally very picturesque. The light 
architecture of the houses, their depressed roofs, 
open galleries and airy kiosks; the spacious gardens 
which half conceal them from view, and in which 
trees of every size are mixed together, in wild lux- 



58 



uriance ; the sober hue of the olive enlivened by the 
bright green of the vine and the scarlet blossom of 
the pomegranate, and the white spiry minarehs 
rising from dark masses of cypress, — -form a com- 
bination of scenery and colour which, when seen 
from a little distance and under the influence of a 
bright and cloudless atmosphere, appears to realize 
the descriptions of Eastern romance. But on enter- 
ing the place the illusion vanishes ; and we find 
narrow streets, vile odours, dead dogs, and every 
sort of uncleanliness. 

Ak-hissar is still a very large town, and we were 
comfortably lodged at the "Yeni," or new Khan. 
There are a great number of fragments of antiquity 
and mutilated inscriptions to be seen in the walls of 
the houses ; and in a farm-yard we were shown a 
large sarcophagus of coarse marble (now used as 
a horse-trough), with a long inscription very well 
preserved, purporting that it was made by Fabius 
Zosimus, for himself and his beloved wife, and for- 
bidding any person to disturb their slumbers on 
pain of paying a fine to the treasury of Thyatira. 

October 3rd. — -We travelled in a northerly direc- 
tion, keeping near to the course of a large river, 
one of the branches of the Hyllus, which flows by 
the city, till we arrived at the edge of the plain 
where it rushes out from a defile at the foot of the 
mountains, between a sloping bank on one side, 
and an abrupt rock crowned with a ruinous tower 
on the other. We passed through this defile into 



59 



a small valley covered with beautiful herbage, and 
surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills which we 
gradually ascended, and which led us into a country 
of an entirely different character from that we had 
hitherto travelled over. The extensive plains to 
which we had been 'accustomed, were exchanged for 
a rapid succession of steep hills and narrow valleys; 
the flowering shrubs and fruit-trees gave place to 
the oak and other hardy plants, and the greater 
attention which seemed to be paid to cultivation 
indicated the diminished fertility of the soil. The 
agricultural implements, however, were of a very 
rude description. The Arabars (a name common 
in Turkey to every sort of carriage), which I now 
saw for the first time employed in husbandry, were 
made some of wicker work, and some of the trunk 
of a large tree hollowed out after the manner of an 
Indian canoe. They were drawn by two small gray 
oxen, and the ungreased wheels creaked horridly. 
The ploughs might be referred to the age of Trip- 
tolemus, consisting simply of a bent stick with an 
arrow-shaped iron attached to it ; the threshing 
machine was an oblong board stuck full on the 
lower side with sharp stones, larger than gun-flints 
but of the same shape. This is pressed upon the 
corn by the weight of a man standing upon it, and 
being drawn along by horses, beats or rather tears 
out the grain. 

About four hours' ride from Ak-hissar, looking 
through an opening in some hills on the left, we 



60 



saw Kirkagatch, a large town standing at the foot 
of a steep cliff on the road from Magnesia to Con- 
stantinople. It is a great mart for cotton, the staple 
article of produce in this part of Asia Minor. Much 
of our journey had been through large fields of this 
plant, which was now bursting its pods and ready to 
be gathered. 

We halted at Kelembeh, a considerable town 
on one of the branches of the Caicus, and from 
thence passed through an upland country to 
Ghul-juk, a miserable mud-built village situated at 
the head of a stream in a narrow valley. The sides 
of the hills in the neighbourhood were covered with 
vineyards, and we bought six okes or about sixteen 
pounds of very good grapes for thirty-two parahs, 
or about sixpence. We were tolerably well lodged 
at the house of a Turk, who showed us some grey- 
hounds, which he said were of the true Macedonian 
breed. They were very handsome, but their rough 
pendent ears and bushy tails gave them a mongrel 
appearance. 

October 4th. — We crossed another range of hills 
and descended into a dreary plain, which in winter 
is overflowed and becomes a lake. At one extre- 
mity of it is Baluk-hissar, a large town famous 
for a fair held there every summer, the resort of 
merchants from all parts of the empire. We saw 
distinctly its numerous minarehs, but we passed 
at ten or twelve miles to the right, and halted at 
Mendahora, a village at the other end of the plain. 



61 



We were first conducted to an open coffee-house, 
but having prevailed on the village barber to give 
us up his shop, we spread our beds on the floor, 
and passed the night comfortably enough. At this 
place I first observed the small hawks which fre- 
quent the gardens and burying-grounds in many 
Turkish towns. They are quite tame ; and the peo- 
ple consider them sacred, and do not like to have 
them killed. 

October 5th. — We had now quitted the line of 
the rivers which flow into the Archipelago. The 
stream t which passes Mendahora runs into the sea 
of Marmara ; but as it here makes a curve to the 
eastward, our road instead of following its course 
crossed some woody hills to Demir Kapi (the Iron 
gate), a solitary derwend or guard-house situated 
in a romantic glen. From thence a long and gradual 
ascent led us to the brow of a hill, where we came 
suddenly upon the view of a wide plain extending 
almost to the Propontis, and divided by a broad 
river formed by the junction of the stream from 
Mendahora which we had occasionally seen through 
openings in the woods on our right, and the Soo- 
sigrlik (the ancient Macestus), into which it flows 
near a village of the same name, where we lodged 
for the night, at the house of a Turkish farmer. 

October 6th. — We followed the course of the 
river along the plain, with a chain of low hills on 
our right, till we came within a few miles of Moha- 
litsch, a large town where couriers and other tra- 



62 



vellers generally embark for Constantinople. The 
plain at this point is traversed by a row of high 
obelisks, two or three hundred yards from each 
other, extending from the foot of the hills to the 
town. This is the Turkish method of constructing: 
an aqueduct, the water being conveyed in pipes up 
one side and down the other of the obelisks ; under 
the idea, I suppose, of creating an artificial level, or 
of giving more force to the current. 

We did not go to Mohalitsch, but inclined to the 
right, and about sunset reached Uliabad, the an- 
cient Lepadion, the walls of which are still very per- 
fect. They are of great strength, and flanked at 
every twelve paces by alternate round and square 
towers. Three sides of the place were thus defended; 
the other is washed by a broad, deep, and rapid 
river, the ancient Rhyndacus, which flows from the 
neighbouring lake of Uliabad (Apollonias). The 
modern village occupies but a small part of the 
space within the walls. It is poor and depopulated, 
its low situation rendering it subject to malaria. 
We lodged in a damp gloomy convent, where we 
found a few half-starved Greek priests, who come 
over occasionally from Mohalitsch to earn a few 
piastres by performing religious services for the 
Christian inhabitants of the village. 

October 7th. — We crossed the river by a slight 
wooden bridge, the substitute for a massive stone 
one, of which the centre arches are broken, and 
proceeded along a grassy down and through several 



63 

villages commanding beautiful views of the lake 
and the woody hills which bound its southern 
shores. At its eastern extremity we passed a tract 
of undulating ground, which subsided at last into a 
rich level plain grazed by vast herds of cattle, and 
skirted on the south by the lower ridges of Mount 
Olympus, whose hoary summit we saw towering 
above the chesnut forests which overshadowed the 
mosques and minarehs of Brusa. Daylight served 
us to reach the hot springs which are situated 
about two miles to the westward of that beautiful 
city. We halted at Yeni Caplujar, or "the New 
Bath," the largest of five or six which have been 
built there, and were introduced into a spacious 
vaulted apartment fitted up all round with benches 
covered with mats, on which by the light of a few 
glimmering lamps we could see a great number of 
persons reposing, some asleep, some eating, and 
some smoking, some dressed, and some nearly 
naked. The only separate apartment we could pro- 
cure was a dirty chamber divided by an open railing 
from the upper end of this large hall, and approached 
by a low flight of steps. 

While our supper was preparing we went to bathe, 
and for this purpose we took off our clothes and 
wrapped a shawl round our waists ; another was 
thrown over our heads, and we were mounted on a 
pair of wooden pattens. Thus equipped we tra- 
versed the hall, and passed into a large inner apart- 
ment with a fountain in the middle, and surrounded 



64 



by marble benches, on which also a great many per- 
sons were lying. From thence we entered into the 
bath itself, a circular vaulted room with a basin in 
the centre nearly thirty feet diameter. This huge 
cauldron filling the whole apartment with a dense 
vapour and strong sulphurous smell, the twinkling 
light of a few lamps and tapers which were scarcely 
perceptible through the thick atmosphere, the gro- 
tesque figures of the bathers with their shorn heads 
and bushy beards, their discordant shouts and songs 
as they were swimming about, and the grinning 
visages of the negro attendants, — formed altogether 
a scene which might have been taken for a repre- 
sentation of the infernal regions. We remained in 
the bath about twenty minutes ; but as the tempe- 
rature of the water was above 100°, and the vapour 
very oppressive, we did not much enjoy it at the 
time. It left however an agreeable languor and 
disposition to repose. Some of our servants re- 
mained for an hour or two in a much hotter bath, 
and it is not unusual for invalids to go in at night 
and stay till morning. The heat of the fountain 
that supplied the large bath was T10°. Another 
in a smaller apartment was 1 1 8°. 

Numbers of persons flock to the baths during 
the summer months ; and they are supposed to be 
of great efficacy in disorders of the skin and in 
scrofula, many hideous cases of which we saw among 
the patients. These were chiefly of the lower 
classes ; and indeed the accommodations at the prin- 



65 



cipal baths are so bad, that few others would put up 
with them. There are, however, some hot springs 
higher up the mountain, where some small houses 
have been lately built in a most beautiful situation, 
and these are sometimes occupied by Franks from 
Constantinople. 

Thursday y October 8th.— In the morning we rode 
into Brusa, and having a letter of introduction to 
an Armenian merchant named Kirmis Oglou, pro- 
ceeded immediately to the Ipek or silk khan where 
he resided. He received us with great cordiality, 
and lodged us in a very good apartment adjoining to 
his own. The khans at Brusa are very fine build- 
ings of stone or brick, with vaulted roofs. The 
rooms opening into the upper corridor in the Ipek 
khan were chiefly occupied by artisans employed 
in arranging the silk for the loom, — an intricate 
and curious operation, as a great variety of pat- 
terns are introduced into the Brusa stuifs. The 
ground-floor was divided into chambers occupied 
by merchants, Turk, Jew, and Armenian. In the 
centre of the quadrangle was a large fountain over- 
shadowed by a spreading plane-tree. The style of 
building, and the seclusion and quietness of the 
place, reminded us of a college or a monastery. 
Stillness is indeed a striking characteristic of all 
Turkish towns. In the largest and most populous 
even in the day-time you hear scarcely any thing 
of n the busy hum of men ;" and after sunset the 
silence is unbroken, except by the sound of the 

F 



66 



water falling from the fountains, or by the voice 
of the Muezzin calling to evening prayer. 

Saturday October 10th. — Early in the morning 
we set out to ascend Mount Olympus. We were 
provided with some very excellent poneys, active, 
sure-footed, and accustomed to the steepest paths. 
The mountain rises immediately at the back of the 
city, and we entered the first or woody region as 
soon as we had passed the gates. Our road, which 
was sometimes excessively steep, rugged, and over- 
grown, led us up one side of a deep ravine. As 
we ascended, we had frequent views through inter- 
vals in the trees and coppice-wood, over a wide ex- 
tent of rich level country, bounded by a ridge of 
low hills which separate it from the sea of Mar- 
mara. In about two hours we had passed the first 
region, and arrived at the second, an open barren 
plain, where the rich verdure of the chesnut forest 
we had left, was exchanged for the dark gloomy 
tints of some scattered pines. The formation 
seemed to be chiefly of granite, large blocks and 
masses of which lay heaped together; sometimes in 
such regular forms, that had it not been for their 
enormous bulk, they might have been taken for 
artificial structures. A great many small fragments 
of variegated marble were scattered over the surface 
of the ground, and the interstices of the larger 
rocks were filled with juniper, dwarf cypress, and 
arbor vitae. After riding along this tract for about 
an hour, we came to a beautifully clear stream, where 



67 



we halted ; and our guide informed us that the way 
was no further practicable for horses. As I saw, 
however, the highest point of the mountain rising 
from this table-land, apparently at no great distance 
before us, I did not like to return without having 
visited it; and leaving my companion, who was not 
disposed to go any further, with the servants and 
horses, I walked on with the guide. His cumbrous 
dress, however, did not permit him to accompany 
me far over the rough ground and through the 
juniper bushes which we had to pass ; and he very 
soon sat down on a stone, and made signs that he 
should wait my return. I then proceeded alone, and 
reached the summit in about two hours without any 
great difficulty. The ascent to the highest point 
on the west and south-west sides is gradual; on the 
north and north-east it is abrupt, and intersected 
by a deep chasm, — the crater probably of a volcano, 
in which there remained a great deal of the last 
winter s snow. A ridge of thin slaty stones heaped 
up like shingles formed a natural causeway across 
this chasm, communicating from its outer edge with 
the topmost peak of the mountain, which was 
chiefly composed of the same loose material. 

The weather was unfortunately rather hazy, 
otherwise the view is magnificent, extending quite 
across the sea of Marmara to Constantinople. As 
it was, I could see the gulfs of Mudania and Nico- 
media, with the lake of Isnik (Nicaea) a little to the 
eastward, half concealed among hills. Towards the 

f 2 



68 



souths ranges of mountains extend one beyond the 
other as far as the eye can reach, none of them 
rising higher than the middle region of Olympus, 
so that from its summit they are seen in a bird's-eye 
view; and to the west I could trace almost the whole 
of our last two days' journey along the plain of 
Mohalitsch, and the lake of Apollonias. We did 
not see a single human being during our excursion ; 
but we passed several ruinous hovels of the Turk- 
men, who at certain periods of the year, when the 
plains are parched by the sun, drive their cattle 
into the mountains to graze on the patches of 
herbage which are found near the banks of the tor- 
rents. 

Descending from the summit of the mountain, 
and following the course of a little stream, in about 
two hours more I rejoined my companions ; and 
after I had rested a while we set out on our return 
to Brusa. The steepness of the path was more 
observable in our descent than it had been in the 
morning, when we were going in a contrary direc- 
tion, and we were frequently obliged to dismount 
and lead our horses over tracks almost perpendicular, 
or steps worn in the rock. We reached Brusa soon 
after sunset : the feast of the lesser Bairam had 
just commenced, and was announced by the firing 
of cannon and the illumination of the minarehs. 
As we passed the Pasha's seraglio we saw a great 
number of Turks in their best dresses seated in 
rows round the court, listening to the vile drums of 



69 



the Albanian guards, and viewing with the utmost 
gravity the progress of a bonfire. 

October 1 1th. — Being a "jour de fete" our host 
proposed that we should accompany himself and 
some of his friends on a shooting excursion into 
the country : and early in the morning four or five 
Armenian merchants assembled on horseback at the 
Ipek khan, each attended by a man on foot carry- 
ing in one hand an old-fashioned clumsy gun, and 
in the other a long pipe. From the sedate mien 
and cumbrous dress of the sportsmen, I foresaw 
which of these instruments was likely to be most 
in request ; and accordingly when they arrived at 
the shooting ground, and had discharged their guns 
once or twice at some small birds, they ordered 
their carpets to be spread, and sat down to smoke 
and drink coffee, — all but Kirmis Qglou himself, 
who, though by far the most corpulent of the party, 
seemed anxious to make a display of his superior 
activity before his Frank guests. Wrapping there- 
fore a silk handkerchief round his head in place of 
his Kalpak and tucking his long robes under his 
girdle, he strode boldly over the open fields till we 
came to a copse, when, after several vigorous but 
ineffectual attempts to push his way through the 
shrubs and underwood, he left my companion and 
myself to pursue the game, and returned to his 

* The Kalpak is a huge cap of black or gray lambskin, in shape 
exactly like a balloon, which is worn by all the Rayahs except the 
Jews, who are distinguished by a small speckled turban. 



70 



friends. About the middle of the day we rejoined 
the party, and found them seated as before on their 
carpets, watching the progress of some fishermen 
whom they had employed to drag the stream hard 
by, — an amusement which seemed to suit them 
much better than more active sports. The fish that 
was caught served for the dinner, which was much 
enjoyed; and in the evening we rode back to Brusa 
by moonlight. 

October 12th. — In the morning we strolled 
through the city, which is large and well built, and 
abounds in traces of its ancient splendour when it 
was the metropolis of the Turkish empire. I counted 
more than a hundred minarehs, but many of the 
mosques are dilapidated and deserted. One of the 
largest, originally a Greek church, is the Turbeh or 
Mausoleum of Othman, the founder of the Ottoman 
dynasty ; and of Orchan, the second of the race and 
the conquerer of Brusa ; and in another, Bajazet and 
Amurath are interred. Lamps are kept perpetually 
burning before the tombs of these sultans ; and they 
are decorated with rich shawls, which are from time 
to time renewed. 

The present population of Brusa is estimated at 
forty thousand, one-third of whom are Rayahs, 
chiefly Jews and Armenians. There are but very 
few Greeks, and scarcely any Frank residents. The 
city is delightfully placed in a woody recess at the 
foot of the mountain, and is built partly on the 
plain and partly on a rocky eminence, where the 



71 



original Acropolis of its founder Pmsias probably 
stood, and where there are now the remains of a 
large castle quite dilapidated. Luxuriant gardens 
extend for a great distance round the place : they 
abound in mulberry-trees, silk being the staple ar- 
ticle of produce. Part of this is spun on the spot, 
and is employed with a proportion of cotton twist in 
the manufacture of the Brusa stuffs, which are used 
for the under garments of the Turks ; and part is 
sent for exportation in a raw state to Smyrna and 
Constantinople. The factors employed in this trade 
are chiefly Armenians, and our friend Kirmis Oglou 
was one of them. He was a single man, of very 
frugal habits and of considerable property ; vain of 
the consequence which his wealth gave him, and of 
the influence which he supposed himself to possess 
with the Turkish authorities. Like most per- 
sons who are flourishing in their private circum- 
stances, he was very well satisfied with the admi- 
nistration of public affairs ; and in his conversations 
with us, he endeavoured in broken Italian to im- 
press upon our minds the interest which he sup- 
posed England to have in supporting the Ottoman 
power. 

This was the second day of the lesser Bairam, 
which was celebrated with more spirit than we 
should have thought consistent with the gravity of 
the Turkish character. The scene of the festivities 
was a large meadow just out of the town, at one 
end of which was a beautiful spring flowing into a 



72 

canal whose banks were covered with well-dressed 
people smoking and drinking coffee. The space 
around was occupied by crowds of men and boys, 
children of all ages, enjoying the diversions of 
round-abouts, rocking-horses, and Russian swings ; 
and a number of Arabars were waiting near, in 
which those who chose might be whirled with 
great rapidity round the fair. The women did not 
intermingle with the throng, but a great manv of 
them closely muffled up were stationed on the top of 
a high bank that surrounded the meadow, to observe 
the amusements of their husbands and children. It 
was altogether a very gay scene : every body seemed 
pleased and cheerful, but there was no drunkenness, 
riot, or noisy merriment. • A Frank is not a very 
frequent sight at Brusa ; but we were not in any 
way molested in the crowd, except by the jokes of 
the children, who were much diverted with our 
short jackets. The Turkish boys are generally very 
handsome, and have a remarkably manly air, ap- 
proaching perhaps to insolence, and announcing 
that they are early conscious of belonging to the 
privileged class. Among the different characters 
drawn together by the festival was a party of men- 
dicant Dervishes, of very singular and wild appear- 
ance. They were half naked: their heads were fan- 
tastically ornamented with wreaths of flowers, and 
they pushed through the crowd with a hurried pace, 
holding a cup in their hands to receive the contri- 
butions of the faithful A boy who could not be 



73 

more than five or six years old, but who from the 
number of his attendants and his fine horse we 
supposed to be the son of some person of distinc- 
tion, happened to be riding by ; and when these 
fanatics approached he stopped his horse, drew a 
long purse from under his garment, and gave them 
his donation with all the gravity and dignity of 
threescore. 

From this amusing scene we withdrew to the 
house of a Greek merchant called Hadgi Nicho- 
laiky, to whom also we had a letter of introduction, 
and who had insisted on our " eating with him" be- 
fore we went away. His ostentatious mode of liv- 
ing was in striking contrast to the simple style of 
our Armenian friend, who was invited out of com- 
pliment to us, although there is a rooted hatred be- 
tween the two nations. The Greek received us 
sitting in state in a cool marble kiosk in his garden; 
and soon after our arrival his wife, a tall raw-boned 
woman, richly decorated with gold chains and trin- 
kets, and her natural height augmented by a pair 
of wooden pattens raised nearly a foot from the 
ground, came in and handed us a plate of sweet- 
meats and a goblet of water. She was followed by 
a servant, who offered us each a small glass of 
liqueur, and dinner was served soon afterwards. It 
consisted of a great number of dishes, brought in 
singly one after the other. Our host insisted on 
our eating of each; and as they were all of the 
richest quality, and there was nothing to assist 



74 



the arduous task of digestion but some thin sour 
wine, it was not without considerable effort that 
we persevered to the end of the feast. When it 
was over we adjourned into a saloon hung round 
with French prints, where a plentiful dessert awaited 
us. This was followed by pipes and coffee, and we 
then took our leave. 

As we were to set out from Brusa immediately, we 
wished to have sent our baggage forward, and to have 
had our horses ready at Signor Nicholaiky's door ; 
but Kirmis Oglou. remonstrated strenuously against 
this plan, and said that his a onore" would be com- 
promised if we took our departure from any house 
but his own. After the hospitality we had received 
from him we could not oppose his wishes, and there- 
fore gratified his vanity and the curiosity of his 
neighbours by setting out from the Ipek khan in a 
regular cavalcade. We crossed the plain, and from 
a range of downs beyond it had a view of the sea 
of Marmara, to whose shores we descended through 
a hollow way among gardens and olive grounds. 
An hour s ride along the coast brought us to Mu- 
dania ; and as the moon was bright and the wind 
favourable, we determined to sail as soon as pos- 
sible. After some time spent in bargaining, we 
embarked in a fine boat called a Beyadeh, forty 
feet long, with eight oars and a large sail; our ser- 
vants and baggage following in another. In the 
morning we were off the Prince's Islands, and at 
one of them (Antigonia) we stopped a short time 



75 



for the men to refresh themselves, as. the wind fail- 
ing soon after we embarked, they had been obliged 
to row almost the whole distance. These islands 
are varied with hills and woods, and in the largest 
of them there is a convent, and several villas. 

The domes and spires of Constantinople now 
rose above the waves, and we were near enough 
to discern the Seraglio point, the opening of the 
Bosphorus, and the entrance of the Golden Horn. 
The Sultan was passing the day at a kiosk at Scu- 
tari ; and his barges, distinguished by their red awn- 
ings, were anchored along the Asiatic shore, where 
we landed for a short time and mixed with the 
crowd who were celebrating the Bairam. On re- 
imbarking, a fresh breeze wafted us rapidly across 
the channel, and we soon arrived at Tophanah, the 
principal quay on the northern side of the harbour. 
This is a square, open on two sides to the water, 
the other sides being occupied by a mosque, a 
number of coffee-houses, and the imperial cannon 
foundry and artillery barracks, from which it takes 
its name*. In the centre is one of those highly 
decorated fountains which are the characteristic 
ornaments of Constantinople and its suburbs, and 
round which groups of persons of all classes are 
continually assembled. 

One of the first things that strikes the eye of a 
stranger is the great variety of costume for which 

* Top in Turkish signifies a gun. Hence Tophanah., the gun- 
khan 3 and Topgij a gunner or artillery-man. 



76 



this metropolis is remarkable, and which is thus 
presented to him immediately on his arrival. Every 
profession and occupation has its peculiar uniform, 
distinguished chiefly by the head-dress, which as- 
sumes an almost endless diversity of forms, some 
of them laughably grotesque. The Janissaries, for 
example, wear an upright white felt cap, with a 
spoon stuck in the front of it, and a broad flap of 
the same material attached to it behind, which hangs 
half-way down the back : some of their officers 
wear a long roll of coarse linen about the size of 
a thick rope, curiously crossed and intertwined till 
their heads seem wider than their shoulders ; and 
others have a cap shaped exactly like a keg or 
small barrel, covered with muslin, and stuck so 
lightly on the crown of their bald pates, that it 
seems every moment in danger of falling off. The 
Galiongi, or man-of-wars-man, winds a striped silk 
shawl fancifully round his head, the ends depending 
on each side like tassels. The Delhis, or cavalry, 
wear a tall cylindrical cap of black felt nearly two 
feet high. The Tartars, or couriers, a lower black 
cap with a large yellow cushion on the top : and 
the Bostangis, literally the gardeners, but in reality 
the body-guards of the Sultan, a red one with a 
broad flyer of the same colour attached to it, which 
looks like the vane on the top of a chimney. The 
Turks, from a very early period of their establish- 
ment, seem to have attributed great importance to 
the dress of the head : and some of their most 



77 



renowned and warlike princes have not thought it 
beneath their dignity to issue ordinances prescrib- 
ing the exact form and dimensions of the Kaouk # . 
The propensity seems to exist even after death, 
" eadem sequitur tellure repostos ;" and the station 
and quality of a deceased Turk may be always 
known by the turban carved on the head-stone 
of his tomb. 

Having committed our baggage to the care of 
the sturdy bare-legged Hamals or porters who ply 
at Tophanah, we wound up the narrow streets of 
Galata to the adjoining suburb of Pera, where we 
procured lodgings at an inn kept by an Italian named 
Giuseppino : our apartments were small, and their 
only furniture consisted of a few wooden chairs, a 
table, and some iron bedsteads without curtains ; 
but as the situation was airy, the rooms clean, and 
the cookery very good, we were tolerably well satis- 
fied with our quarters. 

* The Kaouk is an upright cap made of blue or green cloth, 
very thickly stuffed and indented all round, like the sides of the 
sponge cake which occupies the centre of the dessert. The lower 
part of it is wound round with a long piece of coarse white muslin 
very artificially folded. It is worn generally by all Turks of the 
upper and middle classes, and gives a great dignity to their ap- 
pearance. 



78 



CHAPTER IV. 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



The place which a stranger at Constantinople gene- 
rally first visits, is the remarkable tower of Galata, 
which was originally built by the Emperor Anas- 
tasius, and has been repaired and heightened in mo- 
dern times. It stands on the brow of the hill which 
separates the Golden Horn from the Bosphorus, and 
commands a panoramic view of the city and its 
environs. In front is the harbour, which, as its 
termination is concealed, has the appearance of a 
magnificent river : beyond it are the hills of Con- 
stantinople, crowned each with its dome and spires ; 
and the white kiosks of the Seraglio rising one 
above the other amidst groves of lofty evergreens. 
Beyond these again the sea of Marmara spreads 
out like a vast lake, varied in the nearer distance 
by the tufted woods of the Prince's Islands, and 
bounded on the south by the snowy ridges of Mount 
Olympus. To the eastward is the broad channel 
of the Bosphorus, its Asiatic shores covered partly 
by the suburb of Scutari, and partly by scattered 
villages intermixed with cypress groves ; and the 
little tower of Leander standing on a solitary rock 



79 



in the middle of the stream, recalls by its name at 
least the recollections of antiquity. 

The view fully realized the descriptions of travel- 
lers and historians ; and we had the good fortune 
to see it for the first time on a clear autumnal day, 
when the gilded crescents of the mosques and mi- 
narehs glittered in the sun, and a light breeze threw 
a ripple over the water, which was enlivened by 
large flocks of sea birds and by numberless skiffs 
and caiques. 

From the walls of Galata an extensive cemetery 
stretches along the side of the hill on which Pera 
is placed, dividing it from the neighbouring suburb 
of St. Demetri, and looking over the port and the 
city. At the northern extremity of Pera is a larger 
burying-ground sloping down to the gardens of the 
Sultan s palace at Dolma-bacshi, on the shore of 
the Bosphorus. These cemeteries are chiefly ap- 
propriated to Christians ; as all the Turks who can 
afford it prefer burying their dead at Scutari, from 
the impression so generally prevalent among them, 
that the Franks will ere long again occupy the Eu- 
ropean side of the channel. As the tombs of the 
Turks are distinguished by turbans of different 
shapes, so those of the Christians, especially the 
Armenians, bear frequently some characteristic sym- 
bol of the art or trade which the occupant exercised 
in his life-time ; and on some of them a gibbet or 
a headless trunk engraved, serves to indicate the 
manner in which he terminated his career. As 



80 



every Christian who suffers death from the Turks, 
for whatever offence, is deemed a martyr to his re- 
ligion, these emblems do not convey any idea of 
disgrace. The monuments are generally well pre- 
served ; most of them are surrounded by lofty cy- 
press-trees, and on particular days they are visited 
and decorated by the friends and relations of the 
deceased. The cemeteries, however, are not the 
resort of mourners alone ; they are the public pro- 
menades of the inhabitants of Pera, the playgrounds 
of the children, and places of exhibition for the 
wrestlers, jugglers, and similar performers. 

Pera, though the peculiar residence of Franks or 
their descendants, is not exclusively inhabited by 
them : many of the wealthier Greek and Armenian 
merchants have handsome and substantial houses 
there; and even some of the Turks prefer it, as being 
more retired and less subject to observation than 
Constantinople. It has a small but elegant mosque, 
dedicated to the exhibitions of the whirling Der- 
vishes, which have been so often described # ; and 
its public baths are thought equal, if not superior, 
to those of the city. Besides the artillery barracks, 
the Itchoglan Serai, or seminary of the Grand Sig- 
ner s pages, is situated in this quarter : the neigh- 
bourhood of the arsenal fills the streets, and coffee- 
houses, with the gay Galeongis of the Captain 
Pasha's guard, who have also the care of the police, 
and the wine-houses, and other haunts of a still 
* See Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Dr. Clarke, &c. 



81 

more objectionable character which are to be found 
at Galata, allure the less rigid disciples of Mahomet 
to forbidden enjoyments. The gardens in the 
neighbourhood of Pera are also favourite places 
of resort for the Turkish ladies ; and large parties 
of them are frequently seen repairing thither, either 
walking with a hurried and shuffling pace, or 
riding in small tilted waggons, drawn by four little 
white oxen gaily caparisoned. Their whole figure 
is enveloped in a shapeless cloak or pelisse called a 
Ferejeh ; and the Mahramah, or thick white hand- 
kerchief, in which the head and face are muffled up, 
effectually prevents them from being recognised. 
Their eyes only are visible, and they are generally 
of sparkling blackness, and expressive of any feel- 
ing rather than melancholy. The cheerfulness and 
merriment indeed which prevail whenever a group 
of Turkish women is collected together, may serve 
to contradict some of the notions which are gene- 
rally entertained respecting them ; and may show, 
to use the words of an intelligent traveller # , " how 
gratuitous and misplaced is the pity which we some- 
times bestow upon beings who are not perhaps 
sensible that they can be objects of any other feel- 
ing than envy and admiration." Happily for man- 
kind the influence of the fair sex is not limited 
to any particular mode of society, but may be as 
powerfully exercised in the retirement of the harem 
as in the glitter of the drawing-room. — Nor docs 
* Mr. Hobhouse. 
G 



82 



the seclusion, which we should think imprisonment, 
excite among the Turkish women any discontent : 
on the contrary,, it is considered as one of the great 
distinctions between the higher and lower orders j 
and in the marriage contract it is sometimes stipu- 
lated that the lady shall have the privilege of re- 
maining at home, and not be obliged to go out 
shopping in the streets and bazars like the wives 
and daughters of tradesmen. 

A stranger will not be long resident at Pera 
without paying a visit to Constantinople. In such 
an excursion it was at this time usual, and perhaps 
advisable, to be accompanied by a Janissary, as a 
protection from affront or violence. Each of the 
foreign missions had in its service a larger or lesser 
detachment of these soldiers, who were employed 
to attend the minister on state occasions, and to act 
as couriers, guards, porters, &c. Our ordinary 
attendant was a renegade Swiss called Mustapha, 
who was a great favourite with travellers, from the 
naivete of his remarks and the drollery of his broken 
English. A gate opens from the gardens of the 
English palace upon the lesser burying-ground, 
through which a path winds among the cypress- 
trees in the hollow between Pera and St. Demetri 
to the shore of the harbour, which in this part is 
less than a mile across ; and a caique soon conveyed 
us to Yeni Djarmi, or "the New Mosque," the 
nearest point on the opposite side. Intending first 
to survey the few remains of antiquity which now 



83 



exist in Constantinople, we proceeded through nar- 
row and dirty streets to the Hippodrome, whose 
ancient name may be traced in the modern appel- 
lation of At-meidan, or Place des Chcvaux. This 
is an open space of about three hundred yards long, 
and half as broad, encumbered with heaps of dirt 
and rubbish ; and the spot where the struggles of 
the green and blue factions endangered the existence 
of the city, or the tranquillity of the empire # , was 
now peopled only by a swarm of half-starved dogs 
and a few straggling Janissaries. An Egyptian 
obelisk of red granite, not very lofty but of good 
proportions, which was one of the meta, is still 
standing and in very good preservation. An in- 
scription on the base nearly obscured by rubbish, 
informs us that it was brought from Thebes, and 
placed here in the reign of the younger Theodo- 
sius. The other met a, called the Brazen Column, 
from its being covered with gilded bronze, still re- 
mains, although stripped of its glittering ornaments 
and much dilapidated. But by far the most interest- 
ing object is the serpentine brazen pillar, which is 
supposed to have supported the golden tripod dedi- 
cated to the Delphic Apollo after the discomfiture 
of Xerxes, and which our sceptical historian has 
pronounced to be one of the best authenticated 
relics in existence. The historical column of Ar- 
cadius, the rival of those of Trajan and Antonine, 
has been pulled down for more than a century ; and 
* See Gibbon, cap. 20. 
G 2 



84 



the porphyry column erected by Constantine, and 
commonly called the Burnt Pillar, is totally defaced 
By fire. What most reminds us of the Roman 
magnificence is a range of nearly forty arches of 
the most massive construction, which connect to- 
gether two of the seven hills, and form a part of 
the immense system of aqueducts constructed by 
the emperor Valens, and repaired by Sultan Soly- 
man, by which water is conveyed from the forest of 
Belgrade into the heart of the city. The arches are 
very lofty, and form a striking object in the view of 
Constantinople from Galata and Pera. 

At the eastern end of the Hippodrome and near 
the wall of the Seraglio stands the mosque of 
St. Sophia. In former times this was accessible to 
strangers by the payment of a Bacsheesh* to the 
Imaum ; but the more rigid piety of the ruling sultan 
had closed it against infidel intrusion, except when 
according to ancient custom it is opened, together 
with the other mosques, to the curiosity of a newly- 
arrived foreign minister. As it did not happen to 
me to be at Constantinople on such an occasion, I 
have to lament that I had no opportunity of seeing 
the interior of this church ; the most ancient pro- 
bably in existence, and in its original design per- 
haps the most beautiful. Its exterior disappoints 
expectation, as it is blocked up by heavy buttresses, 

* Bacsheesh, which answers to the buonamano of the Italians, or 
the drinkeld of the Germans, will probably be the first word that a 
traveller learns in Turkey, and the last that he hears. 



85 



and various other incongruous buildings which have 
been added in its transition from the Christian to 
the Mahometan worship ; and the depressed dome, 
the effect of which is so magical from beneath, is 
not certainly so imposing when viewed from the 
outside, as the more aspiring cupolas of St. Peters 
or St. Paul's % The neighbouring mosque of Sultan 
Achmet, with its six light and lofty minarehs, is 
a more elegant building, and more advantageously 
situated, being surrounded by a large court planted 
with trees, and screened from the Hippodrome only 
by a wall pierced with windows. This is one of 
the more modern edifices : it was building when 
Sandys visited Constantinople in 1627; and he tells 
us that the sultan made a rule of working at it for 
an hour every day with his own hands. Of the 
other mosques, the most remarkable are those of 
Solyman, of Osman, of Bajazet, of Mahomet the 
Fourth, and of his mother the Valide Sultana. 
They are all in nearly the same style of architecture, 
surmounted by a dome, and differing from each 
other chiefly in the internal decorations, or in the 
variety of the marble and porphyry columns, the 
spoils of the Greek temples and churches, which 
have been employed in their construction. 

At no great distance from the Hippodrome is a 
high tower called the Tower of the Janissaries, 

* Descriptions of St. Sophia have been given by various travel- 
lers who have seen it ; — the clearest and most intelligible, perhaps, 
by the historian who never saw it. Vide Gibbon, cap. 40. 



86 



which, like that of Galata, commands a fine pano- 
ramic view of the city and its environs. It is also 
an alarm-post in case of fires : but these, as it is well 
known, happen so frequently at Constantinople, 
that little attention is excited beyond the immediate 
vicinity of the spot where they break out. The 
effects too of such a calamity very speedily disap- 
pear. There had been a very destructive conflagra- 
tion in the Armenian quarter not more than four 
months before my arrival, and most of the houses 
were already rebuilt. The private dwellings at 
Constantinople are almost universally of wood, the 
uncertain tenure of property deterring individuals 
from using a stronger or more durable material. 
Of late years the long tranquillity which had 
prevailed in the capital had begun to introduce a 
fashion of more solid residences, and some stone 
houses had been built, especially at Pera ; but du- 
ring my stay this practice was prohibited by an 
edict, issued it was said at the instigation of the 
carpenters. That numerous and wealthy body of 
men feared the decline of their trade ; and stronger 
as well as more enlightened governments than that 
of the Porte, have sometimes found it difficult to 
protect the interests of the public against those 
of clamorous monopolists. 

The bazars and bezesteins of Constantinople are 
very extensive ; a day would scarcely suffice to walk 
through them all. Some of them are merely open 
streets, but the greater part are lofty vaulted cloisters 



87 



lighted from the roof, and closed when the hours 
of business are over with iron gates. Each trade 
has its particular quarter, and each of the many 
nations which are collected at Constantinople has 
certain trades assigned to it by ancient use and 
prescription. Those low-fronted shops without 
glass in the windows, and with a shutter falling 
half down, and serving in the daytime to place the 
wares upon, which are now fast disappearing from 
our English towns, — are the true representatives of 
the stall of a Turkish artificer. On this shutter he 
sits at work ; and though his tools are very rude 
and inferior, he uses them with great dexterity. 
As he sits crosslegged, his bare feet are quite at 
liberty, and habit has made them as useful to him 
as a second pair of hands. I have often stood to 
admire the skill with which a Turk, with no other 
instrument than a verv long gimlet, which he 
turned rapidly by means of a bow and catgut, would 
bore the tube of a pipe through a cherry or jessa- 
mine stick, perhaps more than six feet long. The 
pipe bazar is a favourite place of resort; and many 
a Tartar and Janissary may be seen there looking 
wistfully into the glass cases which contain the 
enamelled amber. The Tusuk bazar (the Pater- 
noster Row of Constantinople) is well worth visit- 
ing: several hundred scribes are to be seen there 
employed in copying ; and even those persons to 
whom the Eastern character is not legible, may still 
admire the neatness and beauty of their manuscripts. 



88 



The- Koran with its commentators is the chief ob- 
ject of their labours, but they condescend some- 
times to fancy-works ; and the little illuminated 
almanacks which are to be bought in this bazar 
are not without elegance. The workmen of Con- 
stantinople excel too in embroidering on cloth or 
leather with gold and silver thread : but their de- 
signs though rich are unvaried ; and whether owing 
to pride or indolence, they have not the faculty of 
working correctly after a model. A large bazar is 
appropriated to the sale of Cashmere shawls, and 
another to the embroidered silk handkerchiefs 
which are made in the harems, and are sometimes 
very rich and beautiful. The Misr Tcharchi, or 
Egyptain bazar, is occupied by drugs and spices 
from the East ; and a neighbouring quarter is de- 
voted to the sale of confectionary, — an article of 
great consumption in the Levant, and which is to 
be found in the greatest variety and of the best 
quality in the metropolis. The favourite sweet- 
meat, of which all the Orientals, and especially the 
ladies, are passionately fond, is the Baclavah, — an 
oblong cake or lozenge made of flour and gum 
tragacanth sweetened with sugar or honey and 
flavoured with rose-water. There are innumerable 
preparations of a similar kind, but they are all much 
too sickly for the English taste; and in our walks 
through the streets of Constantinople we preferred 
stopping for refreshment at the public kitchens or 
Kabob shops. Kabob means literally " roast ;" 



89 



and the Turkish roast consists of small square pieces 
of mutton strung on a fine spit and dressed over a 
charcoal fire., and then served up very hot between 
two thin leaves of bread resembling our crumpets, 
but much larger. In the best kitchens, a ball of 
savoury meat is placed on the spit between each 
piece of mutton, and when thus dressed kabob is a 
most excellent dish. No stronger liquors being to 
be met with in Constantinople, we were obliged to 
content ourselves with sherbet, which is the uni- 
versal beverage in Turkey, and is carried about the 
streets and bazars in ornamental brass vessels, like 
the eau de groseilles at Paris. It is made of raisins 
steeped in water, and is sad sickly stun 7 . 

A lively modern traveller^ has entertained his 
readers with a minute account of the Grand Signor's 
Seraglio, the only one I believe which has been 
given of late years from actual observation. Want 
of enterprise, or of good fortune like his, prevented 
me from penetrating beyond the gate of that cele- 
brated palace, which opens on a large area, occupied 
on one side by a gorgeous fountain, on the other 
by the eastern front of the mosque of St. Sophia. 
This is the place where state criminals are generally 
executed; and here during my stay the Arabian 
chieftain Abdallah el Wahab met his fate. He was 
at the head of the well-known sect of Mussulmen 
which long maintained itself in rebellion against 
the Ottoman power, and occupied the holy cities 
* Dr, Clarke. 



90 



for several years ; but the fortune of war at last threw 
him into the hands of Ibrahim Pacha, who sent him 
a prisoner to Mahomet Ali at Cairo. The courage 
and constancy which he showed under his misfor- 
tunes were said to have so much impressed the mind 
of the Pasha of Egypt, that he would willingly have 
saved his life ; but Constantinople required a victim, 
and Abdallah with two of his principal officers was 
sent thither. After having been detained in prison 
for some weeks, they were led in triumph through 
the streets into the presence of the sultan, and then 
beheaded in different quarters of the city. On the 
following day I saw the body of the chief lying at 
the gate of the Seraglio, with the head placed under 
the arm, and the countenance still expressive of the 
firmness and composure with which he had met his 
death. A crowd of persons was gathered round, 
but no one seemed disposed to offer any insult to 
his remains. 

The palace of the sultan is from its situation 
more exposed than any part of the city. Being 
exactly at the entrance of the harbour, and the 
ground on which it stands sloping down to the water 
in both directions, a few men-of-war might easily 
lay the whole in ashes. But the true defence of 
Constantinople against naval attack must be sought 
in the Bosphorus or the Hellespont, — passages now 
formidable, and which in the hands of any nation 
but the Turks would be impregnable. 

A road under the walls of the Seraglio con- 



91 



ducts to the scale of the Bacshi Capi, or " garden 
gate/' — where we embarked to make the circuit 
of the city walls, which sweep round the gardens 
and kiosks of the Seraglio, and extend for five 
miles along the shore of the Marmara. For the 
greater part of the way they rise almost imme- 
diately from the water's edge ; but towards the west 
end; near the Armenian quarter, there is space for 
some coffee-houses and kabob shops, which are 
pleasantly situated. The walls are of very irregular 
architecture, having been repaired at different times 
with various materials, frequently with fragments 
of marble and sculptured stone ; and here and there 
a row of small arches indicates the site of some 
ancient palace. At the south-western extremity 
of the city we landed, and found ourselves after 
a few minutes' walk at the fortress of the Seven 
Towers, which is near the point where the sea-walls 
and the land-walls unite. We were not aware of 
the necessity of being provided with a firman to view 
the interior of this famous building, the name of 
which was so long a bugbear in Europe ; and 
could not in consequence procure admission beyond 
the outer court, where all that we could see was a 
knot of boys listening to the lessons of an old 
Chodgia Bashi, and a number of small windows 
which proclaimed the gloominess of the apartments. 
The Theodosian arch is almost hid by the buildings 
which have been engrafted upon it, and when strip- 



92 

ped of its golden ornaments would probably be no 
longer an object of admiration. 

The land-walls are triple, and of massy thickness ; 
that on the outside is protected by a deep ditch, and 
the two inner ones are flanked by towers. These 
being in every different stage of decay, overgrown 
with ivy, and shaded by a variety of trees and shrubs, 
which have planted their roots in the crevices and 
breaches of the walls, or on the sides of the fosse, 
— present a long succession of picturesque ruins, to 
which the appearance of solitude and desertion 
which prevails on this side the city gives increased 
effect. A considerable space within the walls is 
occupied by gardens and orchards ; there is no 
suburb, and except in a few scattered coffee-houses 
at the Adrianople gate, we scarcely saw a single 
passenger in a walk of nearly five miles from the 
Seven Towers to the Fanal, the point where the 
land-walls join the harbour. After a lapse of nearly 
four centuries, it might be supposed that all traces 
of the siege of Constantinople would have disap- 
peared in the general ruin of the walls from earth- 
quakes or decay : yet near the Top-kapoussi, the 
ancient Porta St. Romani, where Mahomet made 
his principal assault, and where Constantine fell, 
the towers appear to be in a more ruinous state ; 
and some large mounds of earth at a short distance 
from the walls are supposed to mark the site of the 
besiegers entrenchments. 



93 



The neighbouring quarter of the city takes its 
name from the gate of the Fanal. From the period 
of the Turkish capture it has been appropriated to 
the Greeks, and the principal families of that na- 
tion, the Callimachis, the Morousis, the Zutzos, 
and others, at this time resided there. It was dis- 
tinguished only by being less clean than other 
parts of the city, though yet not quite so dirty as 
the " Ballat," or Jewish quarter, which adjoins to 
it. The external appearance of the houses belong- 
ing to the Greek aristocracy was exceedingly mean, 
though they were said to be very splendid within. 
The only one which I had an opportunity of seeing 
was that of the Patriarch, to whom I paid a visit in 
company with the English chaplain, and whose 
apartments were furnished with primitive simplicity. 

At no great distance from the Fanal gate is the 
village of Ayub, so called from being the burying- 
place of Ayub or Job, the friend and companion of 
Mahomet, who fell in the siege of Constantinople 
by the Saracens, and whose memory was revered 
as one of the earliest heroes of the Moslem faith. 
Seven hundred and eighty years after his death, 
when Constantinople was taken by Mahomet the 
Second, the place of his burial was revealed in a 
vision ; and in three days afterwards the sultan 
founded a mosque on the spot, in which, down to 
the present time, the ceremony of investing a new 
sovereign with the sword of office takes place. It 
is most delightfully situated on the brow of a hill 



94 



commanding a perspective view down the harbour ; 
and the venerable evergreens around it may be sup- 
posed almost coeval with its foundation. 

Not far from the foot of the hill on which the 
mosque of Ayiib is situated, a little rivulet (the 
ancient Lycus) flows through a bed of reeds and 
osiers into the furthest recess of the harbour. Fol- 
lowing up its course for about a mile we arrived at 
the valley of the Sweet Waters/' one of the plea- 
santest and most retired spots in the neighbourhood 
of Constantinople. A smooth grassy lawn extends 
between two ranges of hills, which slope gently down 
on either side ; and in the centre is a large kiosk, 
which was built for Achmet the Third by a French 
artist. It was surrounded by pleasure-grounds in the 
prevailing taste of the age of Louis XIV., and traces 
of them still remain. A Chinese bridge crosses the 
stream, which is cramped into a straight canal, and 
under the windows of the kiosk falls over a flight of 
marble steps in a regular cascade. The trees were 
originally planted in avenues, and cut into formal 
shapes ; but in the course of a century the indolence 
of the Turk has remedied the false taste of the 
Frenchman, and they have shot up into a wild and 
lofty grove ; under whose shade, on a fine smnmer's 
day, numerous parties of pleasure may be seen re- 
posing. Selim was fond of the kiosk of the Kia- 
thanah, as it is called in Turkish, and often visited 
it ; but since the accession of the present sultan, it 
had been used only as an occasional retreat for the 



95 



ladies of the harem. Its sole occupant at this time 
was an old Turkish woman, who was glad to get a 
few piastres by showing it to strangers ; and we 
were permitted to inspect the apartments. The 
walls were richly ornamented with gilding, and the 
divans provided with handsome velvet and damask 
cushions. These were the only furniture ; as the 
few other articles which the Turkish mode of life 
requires ; are moved about from place to place as the 
proprietor changes his residence. 

On leaving the valley of u the Sweet Waters," a 
road leads over the hills on the right bank of the 
stream to the forest of Belgrade, so well known in 
Lady Mary Wortley Montague's description ; and 
where still, as in her time, many wealthy Christians 
have their country-houses ; and frequent scenes of 
festivity may be witnessed. Near the village of 
Bourgas, at the edge of the forest, we passed a 
portion of the aqueduct of the emperor Valens, or 
Sultan Solyman, — a massive and gigantic structure, 
part of which I have already mentioned as existing 
in the city. Beyond it, nearer to Belgrade, are two 
immense reservoirs, from which it is supplied; and 
which being situated among hills fringed with oak- 
trees quite to the water's edge, have all the appear- 
ance of natural lakes, and form a fine accompani- 
ment to the woodland scenery around. 

Soon after leaving the forest, we passed under 
the lofty arch of another aqueduct, thrown across 
a deep glen through which our road lay, and which 



96 



opened at length on a broad expanse of green mea- 
dow, from which the neighbouring village derives 
its name of Buyukdereh, or 6 f the great valley." It 
is bounded on each side by steep hills, and in the 
middle of it stands a group of the most magnificent 
plane-trees that I have ever seen. They are eleven 
in number, and are said to spring all from one root. 

The village of Buyukdereh stretches for a con- 
siderable distance along the shore of the Bosphorus, 
and is chiefly occupied by Franks and Perotes. 
Almost all the foreign ministers, and many of the 
merchants, have their country-houses there ; and the 
quay on a summer's evening is a favourite prome- 
nade. The season was now so far advanced, that 
most of the families had returned to Pera ; but 
Buyukdereh is not without its winter amusements, 
as excellent shooting is to be found in the neigh- 
bourhood. The hills on the European side of the 
channel are broken into frequent glens and ravines ; 
each watered by its rivulet, and overshadowed by 
lofty trees : and large tracts of land are covered with 
arbutus of luxuriant growth, the fruit of which 
attains a size and flavour unknown in more northern 
countries, and affords no inconsiderable supply of 
food to the poorer classes. A little to the north- 
ward of the village near a solitary tower, known by 
the name of Ovid's tomb, the forest commences, 
and stretches almost to the Euxine. It consists 
chiefly of oak-trees springing up from thickets of 
underwood ; and being intersected by glades and 



97 

lawns covered with the finest turf, it assumes in 
many places the character of park scenery. The 
whole of this district in winter absolutely swarms 
with woodcocks ; and near the shores of the Black 
Sea, pheasants and every other species of game are 
found in abundance. The sportsman may rove 
where he pleases, unquestioned and uninterrupted ; 
but scarcely any of the natives or resident foreigners 
avail themselves of the privilege, and the supply of 
game is chiefly dependent on hired chasseurs from 
Constantinople. I was happy to find an exception 
to this general apathy, in my old acquaintance 
Count Constantine Ludolf, the Neapolitan envoy, 
who had a complete shooting establishment in the 
English style ; and I accompanied him in several 
very successful battues. 

Nearly opposite to Buyukdereh, on the Asiatic 
shore, is a remarkable hill called the Giant's Grave, 
which commands from its summit a view of the 
Bosphorus, extending with some interruptions from 
the Black Sea almost to Constantinople. When- 
ever the wind after having blown long from the 
northward changes to an opposite quarter, the 
channel is covered with shipping escaped from 
confinement at the Dardanelles, in the Marmara, 
or at the capital. The flag of almost every nation, 
and vessels of almost every class, may be seen 
there, from the tight brig of London or of Hydra, 
to the uncouth and shapeless constructions which 

H 



98 



issue from the ports of the Euxine, and which ap- 
pear to be built after models left there by the Argo- 
nauts. 

The voyage from Buyukdereh to the Black Sea 
is in fine weather very pleasant ; the shores, especi- 
ally on the European side, being bold and varied, 
in some places covered with vines, in others start- 
ing out into craggy rocks. It was our fate, however, 
to make this excursion on so stormy a day, that we 
were in some fears for the safety of the frail caique 
in which we were embarked. These boats are about 
the size of a Thames wherry, but narrower, and 
their sides much higher. They are very swift, and 
the Turkish watermen are exceedingly expert in 
their management, and very powerful rowers. Their 
oars are longer than ours ; so that they pass their 
hands one over the other in using them, and they 
are weighted at the upper end to counterbalance 
the resistance of the water. The caiques being ex- 
ceedingly sharp, are easily upset by careless or un- 
skilful management. 

The villages above Buyukdereh are thinly scat- 
tered, and insignificant ; but there is a succession of 
forts and batteries on each side the channel, the 
most considerable of which are the castles of Ro- 
melia and Anatolia, placed nearly opposite to each 
other, at a spot where it is not above a mile in 
breadth. These are old Turkish or Genoese for- 
tresses ; beyond them are two others, erected by 



99 



Baron de Tott in 1773, and several smaller bat- 
teries constructed at later periods by French en- 
gineers. 

The Fanaraki or lighthouse, a lofty round tower 
with a lantern at the top, stands on the European 
side at the foot of a rugged promontory ; and is a 
very necessary precaution, as the Asiatic shore of 
the Black Sea is low, and the real entrance to the 
channel difficult to distinguish from what is called 
the false one. The Turks, however, with charac- 
teristic negligence often omit to light it up, and 
consequently a season scarcely ever passes without 
several vessels being lost. The channel at the 
entrance is about three miles across. At less than 
one third of that distance from the European shore, 
are the Symplegades or Cyanean Islands, two tall 
black rocks planted like sentinels to watch the 
passage. One of them is still distinguished by the 
remains of the marble column inscribed to Augustus, 
We approached them as near as we durst venture, but 
the surf would not permit us to land. The wind 
set violently from the north-east, a dense fog hung 
over the bosom of the Euxine, the sea was exceed- 
ingly rough in the wider part of the channel, and 
we were glad when we found ourselves once more 
below the castles and in still water. 

It is below Buyukdereh that the more peculiar 
features of the Bosphorus discover themselves ; and 
it would be difficult perhaps to find elsewhere an 
equal extent of scenery combining the picturesque 

h 2 



100 



beauty of a mountain river with the grandeur of 
an arm of the sea, and the appearance of wealthy 
cheerfulness, and cultivation incidental to the neigh- 
bourhood of a great metropolis. The width of the 
channel is varied in different places by receding 
bays or projecting headlands ; and its shores on 
either side present an almost uninterrupted succes- 
sion of villages, royal palaces, and country-houses 
belonging to the wealthy inhabitants of Constan- 
tinople. They are almost all built of wood, the 
elevations of moderate height, and the roofs very 
much depressed, — a style of architecture which ac- 
cords extremely well with the situation. Steep hills 
covered with gardens, vineyards, orchards, and 
groves, rise immediately behind them ; and in front 
they are separated from the water only by a narrow 
wharf or causeway. Nearest to Buyukdereh, and 
divided from it only by a bay or rather arm of the 
Bosphorus, the village of Therapia stretches along 
the Thracian shore. Here most of the great Fa- 
nariote families had at this time country-houses ; 
and the dark-eyed Greek princesses might fre- 
quently be seen sitting at their windows, or walking 
in their terraced gardens. 

About half-way to the city, in a very romantic 
situation, stands the Eski-hissar, or Old Castle of 
Europe, supposed to be that built by Mahomet the 
Second, on the spot called Asomaton, a short time 
before the fall of the Greek empire * ; and opposite 
* See Gibbon, chap. 60. 



101 



to it, on a low neck of land, is the Old Castle of 
Asia. As the channel here is very narrow, these 
forts form a second strong point of defence against 
any hostile attempt from the Black Sea. At the 
village of Kouroii-Chesme, the dark slate colour of 
the houses, approaching almost to blacky indicates 
that they are occupied by Rayahs ; none of whom, 
except by express permission, are allowed to paint 
their dwellings with the gay colours in which the 
Orientals delight. Among the largest of these 
sombre edifices, one was pointed out to me as the 
residence of Dus Ogloii, a great Armenian mer- 
chant, — the head of the Catholic part of that 
nation, and supposed to be one of the richest sub- 
jects in the empire. He now enjoyed the full 
sunshine of court favour, was the government 
banker, director of the mint, and indeed the virtual 
finance minister. His mode of life was proporti- 
onate to his high fortunes ; his stable was filled with 
the choicest Arabian horses, and his remise con- 
tained a number of European carriages, which in 
this country are very unusual, and it may be added 
useless articles of luxury. His saloons were car- 
peted with Cashmere shawls ; and it was said that 
not less than fifty persons of his family, relations 
and dependents, sat down daily at his hospitable 
table, But he was placed on a slippery elevation : 
the Turks were jealous of the influence enjoyed by 
a Christian ; the Armenian schismatics, the most 
numerous body of his own nation, hated him be- 



102 



cause he was a Catholic ; and the display of wealth 
which he made, when as it sometimes happened 
the sultan paid him a visit, might perhaps excite 
the cupidity of his imperial guest. Under these 
circumstances, an opportunity of effecting his down- 
fall was not long wanting. He was charged with 
peculation, because he was not able to produce at a 
moment's warning an immense sum of money that 
was purposely demanded of him ; and because he 
had a Catholic chapel in his house, he was accused 
of attempting to introduce "foreign and Frank 
superstitions^." No opportunity was afforded him 
of defending himself: and in a year after I was at 
Constantinople his property was confiscated, his 
family scattered and in exile; and passengers down 
the Bosphorus might see the unfortunate Armenian 
hanging from a window of his own mansion. 

Below Kouroii-Chesme is the imperial palace of 
Beshik-tash'f, which was built not many years ago 
for the Bey-Khan, sister to Sultan Selim. This 
and the adjoining one at Dolma-Bacshi are the 
principal summer residences of the reigning sultan: 
he generally quits the Seraglio about May or June, 

* This was part of the accusation published against him ; and as 
it is at variance with the equal toleration which the Mahometans 
extend to all their Christian subjects, it was probably suggested 
by the malice of the schismatics. The late expulsion of the Ar- 
menian Catholics from Constantinople had most likely its origin 
in the same cause. 

t See it described in Dallaway's Constantinople, p. ISO. 



103 



and remains at one or other of them till the middle 
of November; their near neighbourhood to the 
capital making the situation convenient. The palace 
at Beshik-tash is of great length, it is of wood 
painted ornamentally, and the lattices of the win- 
dows are gilt. A portion of the channel in front 
is marked off with white stakes, within which no 
boat is allowed to come ; and as I was passing by 
one day in a shower of rain, the waterman desired 
that I would lower my umbrella, which happened to 
be green, lest the eyes of the Father of the Faithful 
should be shocked by seeing the sacred colour so 
profaned. 

The suburb of Scutari on the Asiatic side is large, 
but badly built. The houses are mean and crowded, 
and few persons of consequence I believe reside 
there. From the immense cemeteries in its neigh- 
bourhood, it appears as you approach from the 
other side the water to be surrounded by a cypress 
forest. The most remarkable building is the mosque 
erected by Selim, as an appendage to the large bar- 
racks which he constructed there for the soldiers of 
the Nizam Djedid. The barracks were totally de- 
stroyed by the Janissaries after his death, but the 
mosque still remains. To the south of Scutari is 
Kadi-keui, on the site of the ancient Chalcedon, 
and a small church of the Lower Empire is shown as 
the place where the celebrated councils were held. 
At Scutari are to be seen also the frightful per- 
formances of the " howling dervises," which have 



104 



been described by almost every traveller who has 
given an account of Constantinople # . 

From the hill of Bourgaloue above the town, 
there is a more extensive and general view of Con- 
stantinople and its European suburbs than from 
any other point; though it is rather indistinct, from 
the remoteness of the objects, the channel here 
being two miles across. 

In no Eastern city is there much intercourse be- 
tween the Mahometan inhabitants and the Frank 
residents or visitors, and in Constantinople perhaps 
less than in any other. The ladies of the foreign 
ministers occasionally visit the harems of the vizier, 
the captain pasha, or other great Turks ; but few of 
the other sex have access to their houses, except 
upon business. Lord Byron tells us that some of 
the merchants of Pera made it a boast that they 
had visited Constantinople only four times in as 
many years; and even those persons who have more 
curiosity, and who from long residence might be 
supposed to have good means of information, 
know but little of the mode of life of the Turks, 
or of what is going forward on the other side the 
harbour. In a country where the art of printing 
is unknown or unpractised, even the external move- 
ments of the machine of state are involved in ob- 
scurity ; and those precise accounts of the proceed- 
ings in the interior of the divan, those "remon- 
strances of the mufti," and those " spirited replies 
* See Hobhouse's Travels, ad loc. 



105 



of the reis effendi," with which the editors of the 
European journals amuse their unsuspecting readers, 
must be referred entirely to the fertile imagination 
of those ingenious gentlemen or their Eastern cor- 
respondents. 

The Armenians and Greeks differ little in their 
mode of life from their Turkish masters, and they 
are rarely seen in Frank houses. Those of the 
native inhabitants who are especially distinguished 
by the name of Perotes, form another class, com- 
posed of the descendants either of the Genoese and 
Venetians — who remained after the capture of Con- 
stantinople, and retained the same privileges under 
the Turks as they had possessed under the Greek 
emperors, — or of the numerous settlers from almost 
every country in Europe, who have established 
themselves there since that period, and have inter- 
married with the natives. It is from this motley 
race that the interpreters and inferior agents of 
most of the Frank missions are selected ; and their 
great skill as linguists, to say nothing of other qua- 
lifications, renders them very fit agents of Oriental 
diplomacy. The Austrians and French alone de- 
part from this practice : to each of their embassies 
is attached a number of young men, called jeunes 
de langue, whose business it is to study the Oriental 
dialects, and qualify themselves for future interpre- 
ters ; but of course they never attain the skill of 
the natives. 

The Frank society of Pera is composed of the 



106 



corps diplomatique, and a few merchants of dif- 
ferent countries who are settled there. The former 
is a very numerous body, as almost every Christian 
state has its minister with the attendant train of 
secretaries, &c, besides a consul, vice-consul, and 
cancellier for commercial objects. The English 
mission is on as moderate a scale as that of any of 
the greater powers. It consisted, when I was there, 
of the ambassador and secretary of embassy ; a 
private secretary and chaplain, and four native in- 
terpreters. In time of peace a continual friendly 
intercourse is kept up between the different minis- 
ters. Besides occasional diplomatic entertainments, 
they frequently dined unceremoniously at each 
other s houses, and each had his particular evening 
for receiving company. Constantinople is seldom 
without travellers, who are very well received ; and a 
stranger introduced by his own minister may have, if 
he pleases, the entree of all the other palaces, and will 
be at no loss for agreeable companions. As several 
of the ministers at this time happened to be single 
men or without families, the want of female society 
was sometimes felt ; but this was in some measure 
supplied at the soirees, by the introduction of the 
Perote ladies, who, though not very highly educated, 
have much spirit and vivacity. Many of them speak 
French, and all Italian, which may be called their 
native language. 

To all the principal missions a mansion, or " serai" 
as it is called, is attached. The Austrian occupies 



107 



the old Venetian palace, which is on a scale corre- 
sponding with the ancient splendour of that re- 
public. The Inglis-serai has been built of late 
years, and at a very great expense. It is a large 
square pile, containing a suite of very spacious 
public apartments, and a number of handsome living- 
rooms. Its situation is not perhaps so good as that 
of the French or Austrian palaces, as it has no view 
of the sea, except from the upper windows ; but it 
has the advantage of being surrounded by a large 
walled garden, which the rapid growth of trees in 
southern countries has probably by this time made 
ornamental. 

The trade of Constantinople with the Christian 
states is very limited compared with that of Smyrna, 
partly because it is not an emporium for many na- 
tive products, and partly owing to the frequent and 
long detention of ships at the Dardanelles by the 
northerly winds so prevalent in these seas ; an evil 
which any other nation than the Turks would 
long ago have remedied by an establishment of 
steam-boats. The English factory consisted at this 
time of only three or four commercial houses ; but 
in default of his own countrymen, our worthy con- 
sul Mr. Cartwright found I believe full employment 
for his time and patience in the affairs of his Ionian 
subjects. 

A short time after my arrival at Constantinople, 
M. Lutzow, the Austrian minister, or internuncio as 
he is called, had his first audience of the grand 



108 



vizier, and invited several travellers and gentlemen 
of the different missions to accompany him. We 
assembled at the Austrian palace in the morning, 
and went on foot attended by a large train of Janis- 
saries and Chaouses # to the quay at Tophana, where 
we embarked in several caiques, and passed over to 
the city. On landing there, we found another guard 
in attendance, with the Chaous Bashi at their head, 
and a number of horses ready caparisoned. We 
mounted with the utmost expedition, and formed a 
sort of tumultuous procession through the narrow 
streets; the horses, unused to Frank riders, rearing, 
prancing and kicking. At length we reached the 
liouse of the vizier, and after waiting a short time 
in the outer hall, were ushered into the divan of 
audience, a room not remarkable for its size or 
splendour. At the same moment that the inter- 
nuncio entered at one door, in order that the dig- 
nity of neither might be compromised, the vizier 
came in at another, — a mean-looking toothless old 
man, with a thin gray beard, and very plainly dressed. 
He took his seat in a corner of the divan, and on 
his left hand stood Prince Zutzo, the dragoman of 
the Porte, in a high fur cap and dark blue benishe-j~, 
bending down in an attitude of the greatest humi- 

* These answer in some measure to our yeomen of the guard, 
and are under the orders of the Chaous Bashi, an officer of con- 
siderable rank. 

t The benishe is the robe of ceremony worn over all the other 

dress. 



109 



lity. The internuncio, who was seated on a chair 
or stool in front of the vizier, then presented his 
credentials, accompanying them by a short speech 
in French, which was translated by Zutzo, with that 
abject mien and trembling voice which a Greek 
of whatever rank always adopts in the presence of 
his Turkish master. The vizier made his reply, 
which was translated in the same way ; and that 
being over, coffee was brought in, and handed to 
the principal performers : while they were drinking 
it, some of the attendants opened a large bag, and 
displayed a number of pelisses of different degrees 
of richness, with which the internuncio and his 
suite were invested. That of the chief I observed 
was of a handsome sable ; the rest were very trum- 
pery things lined with cat or rabbit-skins, which had 
probably served the same office several times before ; 
as they are generally sold immediately after the 
ceremony, and find their way back to the wardrobe 
of the Seraglio. 

The audience did not occupy more than a quarter 
of an hour, when we all retired pell-mell with a 
crowd of the populace who had been admitted indis- 
criminately to the ante-room and staircase. Among 
the rest was an old woman, of most forbidding ap- 
pearance, who placed herself in a window, and 
poured out upon us as we passed by, a torrent of 
the most opprobrious epithets which her language 
could afford. No attempts were made by the atten- 
dants to stop the career of her eloquence : they 



no 

took her probably for a sorceress, as from her hag- 
gard looks they might well do ; or for a maniac, and 
therefore treated her with the respect which the 
Turks always pay to both those characters. After 
some struggling with the crowd, and by the assist- 
ance of the Chaouses, who dealt round blows from 
their long staves in all directions, we at length re- 
mounted our horses, regained the shore, and return- 
ed, not very deeply impressed with the courtesy of 
"our ancient allies." 

The presentation of a new minister to the sultan 
generally takes place a few weeks after his audience 
with the vizier ; and I prolonged my stay at Con- 
stantinople on purpose to attend it, but was un- 
fortunately prevented by illness. Opportunities, 
however, continually occurred of seeing the sultan. 
Every Friday he goes in state to one of the 
mosques, accompanied by the officers of his court ; 
and he frequently rides out to the On-Meidan, or 
archery-ground, not far from Pera : as, like several 
of his predecessors, he is exceedingly fond of that 
sport, and is said to excel in it. In crossing the 
harbour too, I have sometimes met him in a small 
caique with only one waterman and a single atten- 
dant. On these occasions he is supposed to be in- 
cognito, and not the slightest notice is taken of 
him. 

He was at this time between thirty and forty 
years of age, short, and of rather a slight figure, with 
a straight nose, dark eyes, and a fine bushy beard 



Ill 



of the deepest black dye. His countenance was 
not without intelligence, but it was chiefly remark- 
able for its haughty or rather contemptuous ex- 
pression. 

It is difficult to ascertain the real character of 
any sovereign, and of the Grand Turk more than of 
any other ; but he was at this period reported to be 
of a resolute and energetic turn of mind, and a 
strict and bigoted Mahometan. The latter dispo- 
sition showed itself in the renewal of many of the 
vexatious regulations against the Rayahs, which 
had been permitted to sleep during the reign of 
Selim, who was suspected of being less devoted to 
his religion, and who had adopted some Frank 
usages not quite agreeable to the prejudices of his 
Turkish subjects. Whether the different feeling of 
Mahmoud was genuine, or whether he affected it 
as a better cover for the designs which he then pro- 
bably cherished, and has since put in force, of pro- 
secuting the system of reform and improvement 
attempted by his predecessor, must be very difficult 
to determine : the other qualities attributed to him 
have been fully displayed in his late conduct, and 
will procure him the reputation of firmness, or of 
obstinacy, according to the result of the struggle 
in which he is engaged. 

It is a common saying in the East, that the three 
great evils of Constantinople are fire, plague, and 
interpreters. A fourth may be added, more annoy- 
ing perhaps to a passing traveller than either of the 



112 



others — the climate ; which, though Constantinople 
is nearly in the same parallel of latitude with 
Naples, does not in the winter months differ much 
from that of London. The fine weather broke up 
this year about the middle of October ; and from 
that time till I came away there was a succession 
of storms, fogs, rain, and snow, with not more fine 
days interspersed than might have been expected at 
the same time of the year in England. I found the ill 
effects of this uncertain climate in an inflammatory 
fever, which attacked me with such violence just as 
I was preparing for my departure, that for a short 
time I believe I was considered to be in some dan- 
ger ; but by the care and skill of Dr. M'Guffbch, 
the physician to the factory, in a few weeks I was 
again in a state to travel. — I cannot however take 
my leave of Constantinople without acknowledging 
the obligations that I was under to Sir Robert and 
Lady Liston, and to Mr. Terrick Hamilton, and the 
other gentlemen of the embassy, for the great 
kindness and attention which I experienced from 
them on every occasion, and more especially during 
my illness and recovery. 



113 



CHAPTER V. 

ARCHIPELAGO.— ALEXANDRIA. CAIRO. 

On the evening of the 29th December 1818, I em- 
barked on board the Smyrna, an English merchant 
brig; and having immediately got under weigh, 
before dark we had cleared the Seraglio Point, and 
were sailing down the Marmara with a light but 
favourable breeze. In the night it came on to blow 
harder, and at eight the next morning we were off 
the coast between Rodosto and Cape St. George, 
and saw on our left the islands of Marmara, which 
are much higher than the land on the European 
side. The cold was intense, and the hills were 
covered with snow. About three o'clock we passed 
Gallipoli, and entered the narrow part of the 
straits ; and as we could not conveniently pass 
the Dardanelles that night, we came to an anchor 
under a promontory where the ruins of Abydos 
are supposed to be situated. 

December 31st. — About eight o'clock in the 
morning we went ashore at Chenak-Kalesi, the 
principal place in the straits, and supposed to oc- 
cupy the site of the ancient Dardanus, from whence 
they derive their name. It is a large town, said to 
contain nine thousand inhabitants, some of whom 
are employed in an extensive manufactory of pot- 

i 



114 



tery. The castle, which was now under repair, 
stands on a low neck of land ; and there is another 
fort at the opposite village called Chalit-Bahri on 
the European side. This is one of the narrowest 
parts of the channel ; and were it not for the strong 
current, the swimming across it would not be a 
very arduous undertaking. The scene of Leanders 
achievements, however, was higher up the straits, and 
the distance from Sestos to Abydus is estimated at 
four miles. The shores of the Hellespont are boldest 
on the European side : the Asiatic coast is low, 
and rises gradually to the distant mountains. 

We went on board again a little before noon, 
and the wind being quite favourable, we were car- 
ried rapidly along, and soon arrived off the mouth 
of the Mendereh or Scamander, and had a full view 
of the three barrows, commonly called the tombs 
of Ajax, Achilles, and Patroclus, and of the Sigsean 
promontory, a high ridge surmounted by a row of 
windmills, and now called Cape Janissary. Below 
this is a flat neck of land stretching to the northward, 
on which is situated the village and castle of K o urn- 
Kales e. On the heights opposite this castle, on the 
European side, are some batteries built by Baron de 
Tott, which the sailors call "the Frenchman's Folly;" 
and further on, another village and castle mark the 
southern point of the Thracian Chersonesus. 

We now came in view of Tenedos, which had 
the appearance of a regular cone rising from the 
waves ; and on our right we saw Imbros, with the 



115 



high peak of Samothrace behind it, covered with 
clouds and snow. Mount Athos may sometimes 
be seen from this point, but it was not now visible. 
Our captain wishing to take in some additional 
ballast, we cast anchor under the high land to the 
south of Sigaeum, between the villages of Yeni-shir 
and Yeni-keui ; and while the sailors were engaged 
in loading their boats, we scaled the cliffs and looked 
over an extensive plain bounded by the range of 
Mount Ida, and intersected by several streams, each 
of which, as the different systems of the topography of 
the Troad have risen and passed away, has in its turn 
been the Simois, the Xanthus, and the Scamander. 

January l 3 1819. — -We intended to have hired 
horses and to have spent the day in exploring ; but 
the weather during the night and morning became 
so tempestuous, that it was impossible either for 
us to go on shore, or for the vessel to remain at 
anchor, and we were therefore obliged to content 
ourselves with the distant view which we had had the 
evening before of these memorable plains, — a cir- 
cumstance which I should have the more regretted 
had they still remained sacred to the story of ancient 
warfare, and never become the field of modern con- 
troversy # . From the chaos of conflicting theories 

* Like most other controversies,, that on the Plain of Troy has 
ended by throwing doubt over the whole matter in dispute ; and 
the name of one of the ancient writers on the subject, Demetrius 
of Scepsis, seems to have been ominous of the result of the labours 
of those who have come after him. 

I 2 



116 



to be found in the works of our antiquaries and 
travellers, we can extract only the unwelcome truths 
that it is difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile the 
narrative of Homer with modern appearances ; and 
we lose the agreeable delusion which connected 
every rill and every hillock with some incident in 
" the tale of Troy divine." 

Hac ibat Simois, haec est Sigeia tellus, 
Hie steterat Priami regia celsa senis, 

Illic iEacides, illic tendebat Achilles, 
Hie lacer admissos terruit Hector equos. 

The wind blew very hard from the norths with 
frequent showers of snow and sleet ; and the frost 
was very severe, producing an appearance of smoke 
upon the waters. At ten o'clock we were between 
Tenedos and the mainland ; the town, castle, and 
port of the island full in view. The tumulus of 
CEsyetes continued in sight, and the high ridge of 
Ida stretched along till it terminated at Cape Baba 
(Lectum), off which we arrived at noon. At the 
foot of this promontory is the little village of 
Bairam ; and I could discover with the glass some 
large masses of building, which were probably the 
ruins of Assos. The gulf of Adramyttium opened as 
we proceeded ; and we coasted Mitylene, whose high 
rocky shores were covered with snow. In the even- 
ing we were in the channel between Scio and Ipsara, 
the latter appearing a diminutive speck in the waves. 

January 2nd. — At daylight we were about 
half-way between Nicaria and Patmos, and soon 



117 



afterwards we passed under the latter, a high rock 
with a tower and castle at the top, and the solitary 
convent of St. John on a detached peak. This 
day's voyage was exceedingly interesting, presenting 
a succession of objects animated by the recollections 
of ancient history: — Samos, the early seat of Grecian 
philosophy ; Cos, the residence of the arts in their 
most brilliant period ; Cnidus, memorable in the 
Heathen mythology ; Patmos, in the Christian 
annals. The change in the climate was very per- 
ceptible ; there was now no snow seen on the hills ; 
the atmosphere was bright and cloudless ; the air 
had all the mildness of spring, and the whole scene 
was enjoyed the more from the contrast it afforded 
to the frozen shores of the Thracian Bosphorus 
which we had so lately left. The fine weather 
however was but transient, and during the next 
three days we had continual squalls and showers, 
though the wind was favourable, and we ran before 
it at eight knots an hour. 

January 6th. — At daybreak the captain came 
into my cabin, told me that we had made the coast 
of Egypt, and congratulated me on the prospect of 
arriving before noon in the harbour of Alexandria. 
On going on deck, however, about an hour after- 
wards, I found to my great disappointment that 
the ship had in the interval been put about, and 
that we were now close hauled to the wind, and 
running to the westward at no great distance from 
the shore. Every thing was in a bustle ; and it was 



118 



some time before I could learn the cause of this un- 
expected change in our course. At length, how- 
ever, I discovered that the captain (who had never 
been on this coast before,) had mistaken the high 
tower of Abou-al-Mandour near Rosetta, for Pom- 
pey's Pillar, and had fancied that he was making 
directly for the harbour of Alexandria, when in fact 
he was fifty miles to the eastward of it. The wind 
was blowing too hard from the northward to allow 
him to rectify his error ; and in a very short time 
we found ourselves completely entrapped in the bay 
of Aboukir, and were obliged to cast anchor. As 
soon as the bustle on board had subsided, we had 
leisure to reflect on our situation, which was none 
of the most agreeable. But a few hours before, we 
were congratulating ourselves on the rapid and 
prosperous voyage of less than eight days, which 
had brought us from Constantinople to the Egyptian 
coast, and on what we thought the sure prospect of 
soon landing at Alexandria. The cup of expecta- 
tion was now dashed from our lips, and we found 
ourselves set fast at not more than tw x o miles from 
a lee-shore, in a bay as much exposed as an open 
roadstead. All our dependence was on the strength 
of our cable ; the wind had increased to a violent 
gale, and as we well knew that when once set in 
from the northward, it generally continues for a 
long time in the same quarter, we could not an- 
ticipate a very speedy deliverance. The captain 
was in great agitation. Though he had no cargo on 



119 



board, the ship was his own ; and he was still more 
vexed at being caught in a situation which he 
thought reflected upon his nautical skill, and in 
which he declared that he had never before been 
placed during nineteen years that he had commanded 
a merchant-vessel. During the remainder of this 
and the whole of the three following days, the vio- 
lence of the gale rather increased than diminished, 
and the swell became stronger. The scene of the 
memorable 1st of August was before us; but I 
must confess that the merciless tossing of the ship 
did not allow me to enjoy very tranquilly the recol- 
lections of our national glory. 

On the 9th a little incident somewhat relieved the 
monotony of our situation. At about one o'clock we 
observed a boat coming down as if from Aboukir; 
but we took little notice of it at first, thinking that 
it belonged to some one of the other vessels which 
were in the same unfortunate circumstances with 
ourselves. We soon however perceived that it was 
bearing down directly towards us ; and whether from 
the little acquaintance that any one on board had 
with the coast, or whether the state of anxiety we 
had been in for the last two days had depressed our 
spirits and made us timorous, the idea of robbers 
or pirates suddenly suggested itself ; and when the 
boat was near enough for us to see that it was filled 
with men, the alarm was confirmed. All hands 
were immediately ordered to their posts, and a 
number of old rusty muskets and blunderbusses 



120 



were brought out, examined, and re-primed. Our 
least effective men,, comprising the ship's steward, a 
mulatto, the cook (who had already lost a hand in 
a skirmish with a privateer), and my Italian servant 
(more remarkable for fidelity than courage), — were 
placed below to supply ammunition, while the rest 
of us stood on deck ready to pour a volley into the 
boat as soon as it should come alongside. On its 
nearer approach, however, we did not see any ap- 
pearance either of arms or of hostile intention ; and 
when within hail, one of the men on board addressed 
us in an animated speech, accompanied with much 
gesticulation. Half of his harangue the winds carried 
entirely away, and we only heard enough of the 
remainder to show that he spoke in a dialect which 
we did not understand. We made signs, however, 
for the boat to go under our stern, and without 
putting ourselves off our guard, sent a Maltese, who 
professed to understand a little Arabic, to ask the 
men what they wanted. As far as we could learn 
from his imperfect interpretation, it appeared that 
they came from the governor of Aboukir Castle, 
who seeing a Frank vessel at anchor, thought that 
she might be in distress, and sent to offer his as- 
sistance. They begged us moreover to allow them 
to come on board to sleep, alleging that the wind 
being quite contrary for their return, they should 
otherwise be obliged to pass a tempestuous night 
in their open boat at sea. We rather hesitated at 
granting their request, being little prepared to ex- 



121 



pect so much attention and politeness on the part 
of a Turkish governor, and supposing that the 
story was merely a pretext to get on board the 
vessel. The earnest entreaties, however, of the 
poor fellows, who were dripping with the spray, 
(having had to pass through a heavy sea in order to 
reach us,) went a great way towards overcoming our 
reluctance ; and the question was decided by the 
mate, a rough Scotchman, who looking over the 
stern, and seeing the boat filled with gray-bearded 
old men and ragged boys, declared that " we had 
no occasion to be afeard of them chiels." They 
were accordingly received, sat down very quietly 
on deck, and after eating a supper which the cap- 
tain provided for them, retired peaceably to rest, 
leaving us to enjoy a hearty laugh at our own fears. 
We afterwards found that the Turk at Aboukir had 
directions from the consuls at Alexandria, to send 
relief to any European vessel which might appear 
to stand in need of it ; and the visit was thus satis- 
factorily accounted for. 

During the night the wind had considerably 
abated ; and in the morning, to our great delight, it 
had shifted sufficiently to the eastward to allow us to 
make our escape. We immediately weighed anchor, 
and succeeded in weathering the little island called 
Nelson's Island, situated just off the Castle of 
Aboukir. The masts of a small vessel which had 
been wrecked a short time before, pointed out the 
spot where on the 1st of August the Culloden ran 



122 



aground, and served as a beacon to guide the re- 
mainder of the fleet to their daring enterprise. 

A little to the westward of Aboukir, we re- 
marked a singular and sudden change in the colour 
of the water ; and we could trace a very distinct line 
between that part of the sea which was stained by 
the muddy waters of the Nile, and that which shone 
with the deep blue tinge of the Mediterranean. 

Though the coast is here very low, yet the ap- 
proach to Alexandria from the north is not difficult, 
owing to the grand objects by which it is marked: — 
Pompey's Pillar to the eastward, and a large square 
castle with turrets, called the Arabs' Tower, on the 
west side. Nevertheless the entrance into the old 
harbour being obstructed by a chain of rocks which 
run across it in front, cannot prudently be attempted 
without a pilot. We lay to, and made signals, which 
were soon answered : the pilot came on board, and 
steered us safely into port on the evening of 
Sunday the 10th of January. The Pasha of Egypt 
had imposed a quarantine of four days on his own 
flag ; but with that inconsistency which renders 
useless all the Turkish regulations on this subject, 
Frank vessels, from whatever port they might come, 
were exempted from its operation. We therefore 
went immediately on shore and paid a visit to the 
consul ; but not finding him at home, returned on 
board the vessel to sleep. 

This first walk that I took in Alexandria filled 
me with melancholy anticipations as to my journey 



123 



in Egypt. The difference of appearance between 
that province and those parts of the empire which 
I had hitherto visited is most striking. In Greece, 
Asia Minor, and Constantinople, there is a general 
look of comfort among all classes of the people, 
even the lower orders being cleanly and well drest ; 
while here, on the contrary, nothing could exceed 
the general squalidity and wretchedness. The nar- 
row streets or rather ditches w r ere knee-deep in 
liquid mud ; the dirty flat-roofed houses were with- 
out glass or shutters, or blinds to the windows ; 
groups of savage-looking Mograbin pilgrims from 
Western Africa were encamped wherever an open 
space presented itself ; and the few miserable natives 
who were seen crawling through the streets or 
squatted on the ground, were covered only with a 
long coarse woollen cloth, nearly of the same colour 
with their dingy skin, and half of them were blind. 
The rest of the inhabitants bore the roue and 
assassin-like look which characterizes the rabble of 
Genoa, Trieste, or Leghorn ; the town being full of 
the refuse and offscouring of almost all the ports of 
the Mediterranean. 

The Frank merchants occupy several large build- 
ings called Okellas, which in their appearance and 
arrangements very much resemble Turkish khans. 
When the outward gates are shut, they serve the 
purposes of defence in cases of insurrection, and of 
security during the ravages of the plague. 

There are two ports at Alexandria, the Old and 



124 



the New, divided from each other by the isthmus 
which unites what was once the island of the Pharos 
to the mainland, and on which great part of the 
modern town is built. Formerly the New or Eastern 
harbour was the only one into which Frank ships 
were permitted to enter ; and as it was nearly choked 
up with sand, it was a most inconvenient and dan- 
gerous anchorage, and consequently few large ships 
ever visited Alexandria. The French invasion put an 
end to this prohibition ; but an attempt was made to 
revive it after the English expedition in 1806. After 
the peace of the Dardanelles, however, an English 
frigate was dispatched from Malta with orders to 
sail into the Old harbour : the Turks did not venture 
to molest her, and the port was again open to the 
flags of Christendom. It is safe and capacious, 
though difficult of access. At this time more than 
two hundred sail of European vessels, chiefly large 
brigs, were lying there, waiting for cargoes of corn. 
The bean crop having failed in England, large spe- 
culations were entered into by the English merchants 
in London, Smyrna, and Constantinople, to supply 
the market with that grain from Egypt ; and the 
vessel in which I came, was taken up at an enormous 
freight for the purpose. The detention, however, 
occasioned by the delay of the boats at Rosetta, 
and by the obstacles thrown in the way by the 
Egyptian government, was so great, that when the 
cargoes arrived in the Thames, they were scarcely 
worth enough to pay the expenses of the transport. 



125 



It was said indeed to be a common stratagem 
with the pasha to contract for large quantities of 
grain with the merchants, and under different pre- 
tences to delay the delivery till his own ships had 
already glutted the different markets of the Medi- 
terranean. The merchants were quieted and tempted 
on by the almost unlimited credits that he afforded 
them, till at last they were so involved in debt, that 
they became little more than his tributaries ; and 
in some instances, in default of payment, troops 
have been sent to quarter in their houses. The 
Frank merchants indeed, with few exceptions, are 
of a very inferior class,— frequently those who have 
failed at Marseilles, Trieste, or Leghorn; and the 
destruction of the commercial importance of Malta 
by the return of peace, sent a great many emigrants 
from thence also. 

The state of society is such as might be expected 
in a place inhabited by so mixed a population, and 
where the almost constant apprehension of plague 
would of itself prevent the frequency of intercourse. 
There are no public amusements, except when some- 
times a troop of strolling comedians take a trip 
from Messina. They were not now there; and the 
only Alexandrian gaiety which I had an opportunity 
of witnessing, was a tolerable concert of instru- 
mental music by amateur performers. 

The situation of the town is most unfavourable 
to comfort. Placed on a sandy neck of land, one 
side of which is swept by the Mediterranean, and 



126 



the other by the Mareotic Lake, it is exposed, un- 
sheltered by trees, to the northern blast from the 
sea, and to the siroc from the desert ; and it is only 
during the violent heats of summer in the interior 
of the country that any one would from choice 
make it his residence. It is then that the pasha 
visits it, and remains for a few weeks in a magnifi- 
cent kiosk, built in the Turkish style on the sandy 
ridge that separates the port from the sea. With 
this exception there is not a villa without the walls ; 
and in the large unoccupied space within them, the 
only summer retreats which the inhabitants have, 
are some wretched cottages surrounded by cabbage- 
gardens and high mud walls, and sheltered from the 
scorching heat of the sun only by a few ill-grown 
date-trees. 

At a little distance from the walls is a chain of 
those immense mounds of earth which are the pe- 
culiar and striking accompaniments of all Egyptian 
towns, and which are formed from the perishable 
materials of which the ancient like the modern 
houses were probably composed. On the summits 
of most of these the French erected forts, which 
are now totally dismantled ; and the town is pro- 
tected only by a ditch and a low wall flanked with 
towers, which has been lately built by the present 
governor ; and whose glaring white colour but ill 
accords with the sombre antique tints of every thing 
around. The place I apprehend would be wholly 
untenable against a regular attack. It is garrisoned 



127 



by about fifteen hundred Turkish and Albanian in- 
fantry, and eight hundred Topgis or artillerymen. 

The antiquities of Alexandria since the French 
and English expeditions are so well known as 
scarcely to need description. The vast site which 
was occupied by the ancient city is marked by im- 
mense subterranean reservoirs, many of which are 
still in use ; by broken columns, and innumerable 
fragments of granite, porphyry, marble, basalt, 
pottery, and glass, scattered over its whole extent, 
and by small coins, which after rain may be found 
in great quantities. Different names have been 
given to different masses of ruins by antiquaries 
and travellers ; but it does not appear that any of 
the ancient monuments can be securely identified^ 
except the Pillar of Dioclesian and the Hippodrome. 
The latter is plainly discernible, having been ex- 
cavated by Lord Valentia. Both the obelisks are 
in beautiful preservation; the one that is still stand- 
ing perhaps less so than its prostrate companion, 
with which it has been several times proposed to 
enrich the English metropolis. The officers of the 
army on the evacuation of the country in 1802 had 
made preparations for embarking it, which were 
frustrated by a want of co-operation on the part of 
the admiral. Belzoni had a plan for packing it up 
in a huge barrel, and towing it home astern a frigate ; 
and a brig of war has since been sent with an officer 
of engineers on board to report upon the best 
manner of transporting it. The project, however, 



128 



seems now to be abandoned, and perhaps wisely. 
The expense would have been enormous ; and it 
may well be doubted whether even granite could 
long resist the murky atmosphere of London, and 
the rigour of an English winter. 

During the week that I remained at Alexandria 
the weather was showery and cold ; and we were 
glad to retire to a small room in the consul's house, 
fitted up with an English grate, the only one perhaps 
in Egypt. I took the opportunity of a fine day to 
make an excursion to the Catacombs, which for their 
extent and arrangement are well worthy of notice ; 
and the ruins called Cleopatra's Baths, which were 
probably the substructions of a marine villa. From 
thence I wandered across the sands to the shores 
of the Mareotic Lake, which was now deeply covered 
with water in consequence of the long prevalence 
of north-westerly winds, and abounded in wild-fowl 
of various kinds. In returning from it I passed 
the famous canal, which has since been put in re- 
pair by Mahomet Ali, after having been disused for 
a long period. This had become indeed almost a 
work of necessity ; for the delays in crossing the 
bar of Rosetta grew every year longer and more 
frequent, in consequence of the accumulation of 
sand, and threatened to put a stop to the commerce 
of the western branch of the Nile. The enterprise, 
however, was not so wonderful as report would 
make us believe, being no more than clearing out 
a canal which existed in the time of the Ptolomies, 



129 



and which had been repaired by one of the Mama- 
luke sultans ; and the vast number of hands which 
a governor of Egypt is able at all times to com- 
mand, very much facilitates the execution of such 
projects. 

Pompey's Pillar, as it is still commonly called, 
although it is found to have been dedicated if not 
erected to Dioclesian, is situated about half-way 
between the canal and the town, and is in every 
respect a most striking object. The sand-bank on 
w T hich it stands is on holidays the resort of the idle 
populace of Alexandria, and of the crews of the 
vessels in the harbour, who are seen wandering 
about and giving an air of cheerfulness to these 
scenes of desolation. The column, however, suffers 
occasional injuries from these visitors. The lower 
classes of the English especially, can never be within 
reach of a monument of art without attempting to 
deface it ; and the sailors of His Majesty's frigate 
the Tagus, had smeared over the pedestal with the 
name of their ship written in black paint, and in 
letters so gigantic as completely to obscure the 
Greek inscription. 

Among the guests at the house of Mr. Lee the 
English consul, whose hospitality every traveller 
will recollect with gratitude, and whose untimely 
loss every one who knew him must lament, was the 
Rev. Mr. Jowett, an agent of the Missionary and 
Bible Societies, who was proceeding to Cairo. As 
our routes were the same, though our objects were 



130 



different, we agreed to travel together ; and we set 
out from Alexandria on the 19th of January, ac- 
companied by a young Levantine Christian, named 
Nasr-Allah, who was going to seek his fortune at 
the capital, and who solicited a place in our boat 
from Rosetta, offering to act as interpreter on the 
journey. We were mounted on asses, which in 
Egypt are excellent, and four camels were laden 
with our baggage. 

We left Alexandria by the Canopic, or eastern 
gate, and at some distance without the walls we 
passed the position which the French army occupied 
previously to the battle of the 21st of March 1801. 
We then crossed a gentle valley and arrived at the 
English position, which may be recognised by some 
Roman ruins near the sea, on which the right wing 
rested, and where the most desperate conflict took 
place. The plain at this time had the appearance 
of an immense mass of sand, so powerfully operated 
upon by the wind that we observed in one place a 
group of very lofty palm-trees almost buried under 
a drifted heap. These trees grow luxuriantly in the 
sand, and when slightly agitated by the breeze they 
have a most beautiful feathery appearance, and look 
like a forest of nodding plumes. Soon after passing 
the lines we came in view of the lake of Aboukir, 
and observed the mound which separates it from 
the Mareotic Lake, and along which the canal from 
the Nile to Alexandria is conducted. Coasting the 
lake for some distance, and leaving the castle of 



131 



Aboukir on our left, we arrived about sunset at a 
guard-house and caravanserai, which are situated 
at the point where the sand-bank which separates 
the lake from the sea is contracted into a narrow 
causeway. 

In this caravanserai we were destined to lodge 
for the night, and a more wretched place can scarcely 
be conceived. At first we were told that there was 
no room, so crowded was it with travellers ; but the 
" teschere" or order which we had brought from the 
governor of Alexandria, seconded by a dollar as 
bacsheesh, at last obtained us admission into a 
long low building, in which were two rows of bed- 
steads, or rather of benches, ranged opposite to 
each other, with a narrow passage between them. 
On one of these we found room to spread our mat- 
tresses ; and we laid ourselves down between a party 
of Albanian soldiers on one side, and of Jew pedlars 
on the other, separated from them only by our saddles 
and some baggage which we piled up around us. 
The certainty of being covered with vermin, and 
the chance of catching the plague which was then 
prevalent, hindered us from enjoying any very com- 
fortable repose, and at four o'clock in the morning 
we set out by moonlight to pursue our journey. 
At a few miles from the caravanserai the causeway 
is interrupted by a breach of about a quarter of a 
mile, through which the sea flows into the lake of 
Aboukir. We crossed it in a ferry-boat, and after- 
wards coasted for some distance the lake of Edko, 

k 2 



132 



another of those large shallow back-waters which 
have been formed in consequence of the stopping 
up of so many of the ancient mouths of the Nile. 
Passing through some low sand-hills interspersed 
with palm -trees, we soon afterwards arrived at Ro- 
setta. 

This town makes no show on the land side, but 
on entering it we found that it was much larger 
and better built than Alexandria. It has, however, 
a very gloomy appearance ; the houses, which in 
general are four stories high, being constructed 
with very small dark-coloured bricks bedded in 
thick layers of white mortar, and having a great 
number of small windows closed with wooden lat- 
tices. We passed through the bazar, which is 
dark and narrow, to the house of Mr. Lenzi the 
English vice-consul, who received us with as much 
cordiality as his extravagant fears of the plague 
would allow, and procured us a lodging at an inn 
kept by an Italian, where we should have been com- 
fortable enough, had we not been for the first time 
greeted by one of the modern plagues of Egypt in 
the shape of mosquitoes, which swarm upon the 
banks of the Nile, and are of a more venomous 
quality there than in any other place I ever visited. 
The moment you embark on the river, however, 
they disappear. 

Nothing can be more striking than the difference 
in the character of the scenery on the land side and 
on the river side of Rosetta. On the one there is 



133 

nothing to be seen but heaps of sand and a few 
straggling palm-trees. On the other, the Nile rolls 
his slow and majestic course through fields and 
gardens overgrown with luxuriant vegetation, and 
through groves of palms, orange-trees, limes, and 
bananas. Its stream is divided just below the town 
by an island covered with lofty sycamores and 
acacias, among which were now deposited some 
Egyptian statues, which might have been supposed 
the tutelary deities of the spot. 

Rosetta was at this time a place of great consi- 
deration, being the emporium from which all the 
grain brought from the Delta and from Upper Egypt 
was shipped for Alexandria. The opening of the 
canal however, at Rahmanie, must since have much 
diminished its importance. Its population was 
estimated at from twenty to thirty thousand. The 
quay is very fine, extending nearly a mile along the 
western side of the river. The Pasha's granaries 
are built upon it, and we saw great numbers of the 
" Fellahs" or peasants employed in carrying the 
corn to and from the boats. Some of them were 
fine strong men, but they were almost naked and 
very miserable in their appearance, their pay being, 
as we understood, at the rate of five parahs (or 
about the eighth part of sixpence) per day, a very 
low scale of wages, notwithstanding the extreme 
cheapness of food in Egypt. The work however 
appeared to be done with the greatest alacrity, 
owing perhaps to the vigilant superintendance of 



134 



the Albanian taskmasters, who stood by with long 
sticks in their hands, which they applied without 
ceremony to every loitering " operative." 

At Rosetta we first observed the true Egyptian 
dress of the women, which at Alexandria is cor- 
rupted by some mixture of foreign fashions. It con- 
sists of a coarse cotton shirt tied round the waist, 
over which is worn a loose blue dress, nearly of the 
colour of our butchers' frocks, with large sleeves, and 
a hood which goes over the head. Among the poorer 
people the under garment is sometimes dispensed 
with ; but all decent classes in the towns have their 
faces covered with a triangular black veil, orna- 
mented with steel beads, which is suspended over 
the forehead, and allows the eyes only to be seen. 

The gardens round Rosetta are large and pro- 
ductive. The season for dates was nearly passed, 
but some clusters still remained hanging on the 
trees, packed up in baskets made of the leaves to 
protect them from the birds. The dates are of two 
kinds, the purple and the yellow. The former is 
in shape and colour not unlike the large Damascus 
plum, and when perfectly ripe the taste approaches 
nearer to that fruit than to any other which we 
possess, though it is more rich and juicy ; when 
unripe it is excessively rough and sour. The other 
sort is of a deep orange colour and of a more deli- 
cate flavour. 

The banana at Rosetta does not grow to any- 
great size. Its leaves are in shape something like 



135 



those of the Indian corn, but very much larger, 
sweeping the ground and forming a bower round 
the stem. The fruit was now just ripe. It is a 
sort of marrow contained in a large pod, and when 
fresh gathered the flavour is exquisite. It is too 
delicate however to keep, even though plucked be- 
fore it is fully ripe, as the pulp soon becomes soft 
and decays. 

In one of our walks we went into a garden where 
we had observed a very fine display of fruit, and 
asked the proprietor for some oranges : he brought 
us some bitter ones ; and when we explained to him 
that we wished for the sweet sort, he stoutly denied 
having any. However, as our guide had told us 
that there were plenty in the garden, we pressed our 
request, and having backed it by the offer of a few 
piastres, the old man led us into a remote corner, 
where we found some trees loaded with them. We 
observed that he carefully buried in the ground 
the peel of all that we ate ; and on our asking him 
the reason, he told us that he was afraid lest the 
Albanian soldiers if they chanced to find out that 
he had sweet oranges in his garden, should come and 
take them from him, and that the fear of his trea- 
sures being discovered by these plunderers made 
him unwilling at first to show them even to us # . 

* An incident of a similar character is mentioned by Rousseau 
as having* happened to him in his youth in France, and as having 
been the origin of that hatred of oppression which distinguished his 
after life. — See Confessions, part 1. livre 4. 



136 

Three different kinds of boats navigate the Nile. 
The largest are called Germs, and are used ex- 
clusively for the conveyance of corn and mer- 
chandise. The Cangia is used for passengers only, 
and almost every person of consideration possesses 
one of his own. The Mahash is an intermediate 
rate, capable of carrying a considerable cargo, but 
fitted up with a large cabin for the accommodation 
of passengers also. A vessel of this class being on 
the point of sailing for Cairo, we engaged our pas- 
sage on board. The cabin was sufficiently large 
for my companion and myself, and a temporary 
awning was erected on the deck for Xasr-Allah and 
the servants. 

"We sailed late in the evening of the 21st of Ja- 
nuary, having been detained for two hours by the 
absence of the "reis" or master of the boat, who 
was not to be found at the time appointed. The 
Turkish officer to whom we complained of the de- 
tention sent to fetch him, and when he arrived at 
the quay rated him very severely, and drove him 
on board with repeated blows from a large stick. 
We were apprehensive that he would show his re- 
sentment for this usage by uncivil conduct to us ; 
but he seemed perfectly inured to it, and as soon as 
he came on board began to give us reasons for his 
absence with the utmost composure. The whole 
of the night was consumed in warping up the line 
of boats which were moored along the quay, and 
at daybreak we found ourselves opposite to the 



137 

Marabout or Shekh's tomb of Abou al Man dour, 
which stands on a conspicuous eminence at a little 
distance from the town. 

January 22nd.- — The winds were very light, and 
we made but little progress. The inundation had 
not yet entirely subsided, (although the river had 
sunk considerably below its banks,) and from the 
roof of our cabin we could command an uninter- 
rupted view over the country, the perfect level of 
which was broken only by the high banks of the 
numerous canals which intersect it. This monotony, 
however, was relieved by the number of villages 
which present -themselves at every turn of the river, 
and frequently in very picturesque points of view. 
Their minarehs bear no resemblance to those of 
European or Asiatic Turkey, (which from their 
shape have been not inaptly compared to tall candles 
with extinguishers upon them), but are much more 
like Gothic towers, and when seen rising from 
groves of tufted sycamores, often give an English 
character to the scenery. 

The mornings and evenings were now very cold, 
and the greater part of the day cloudy, though the 
sun at noon and for a few hours afterwards gene- 
rally shone out with a scorching heat. We went 
on shore at Fouah, which is one of the most con- 
siderable towns in the Delta, but dirty and wretched 
in the extreme. It was anciently called Metelis, 
and was remarkable for being a nursery of the 
Almehs or dancing-girls, who seem to have existed 



138 



in Egypt from very early times, and who still con- 
tinue to excite the curiosity of the traveller, al- 
though their performances generally disappoint his 
expectation. 

We anchored near Fouah. The river was crowded 
with vessels of different kinds, and the chaunt of 
the boatmen had a pretty effect at nightfall. 

23rd. — We passed Rahmanie, where there is a 
strong fort commanding the entrance of the canal 
which branches off to Alexandria. 

The groups of women going to fetch water form 
a striking feature in the scenery of the Nile. Thirty 
or forty of them are frequently seen walking in 
single file, and at regular distances to and from the 
river, each with a jar on her head and another on the 
palm of her hand. From the necessity of preserv- 
ing their balance in this mode of carrying burdens, 
to which they are from their childhood habituated, 
these Egyptian peasants acquire a firmness and 
grace of step which we scarcely see excelled in the 
saloons of polished cities. Their erect attitude, 
simple drapery, and slim figures increased in ap- 
parent height by the pitchers on their heads, give 
them at a distance a very classical appearance, but if 
you approach the Naiads, you find them pale, dingy, 
and emaciated. This opportunity, however, very 
seldom occurs ; for whenever a turn in the river or 
any accidental circumstance brings you suddenly 
upon them, they muffle up their faces in their dress, 
and retreat as hastily as possible. 



139 



Towards sunset we observed some Turkish of- 
ficers sitting in a kiosk on the western bank of 
the river, nearly opposite to a village called Mehallet 
Abou-tali ; and as we passed, their attendants hailed 
us 3 and desired the reis to bring to. Considering 
that our teschere as well as our being Franks pro- 
tected us from such interruptions, we paid no atten- 
tion to the summons, and ordered the boatmen to 
cross over to the opposite side of the river. The 
wind, however, failed us before we could execute 
this manoeuvre, and we soon observed alight Cangia 
with several Albanian soldiers on board in pursuit 
of us. To escape was impossible, and the crew was 
thrown into the utmost confusion. The reis was 
alarmed for the consequences of his disobedience, 
and our friend Nasr-Allah, who, confident in Frank 
protection, had been picturing to himself with great 
glee the rage which the "infidel dogs" would be 
thrown into at seeing their orders neglected, now 
began to change colour, and to lose the presence of 
mind so necessary to his office of interpreter. The 
soldiers soon came alongside, and either disre- 
garding or not understanding the remonstrances 
which my companion addressed to them in the most 
approved Cambridge Arabic, stepped without cere- 
mony into our boat, pouring out upon us all a tor- 
rent of the grossest abuse, and upon the unfortu- 
nate reis a shower of blows. We showed them 
our teschere, but they treated it with the utmost 
contempt, seized the helm, and steered the boat 



140 

back again to the kiosk. We now found that 
Cutchuk Bey, the officer commanding the troops 
on this station, was desirous of sending some of his 
men to Cairo, and for that purpose had ordered our 
boat to be detained ; the Turkish officers and even 
the meanest soldiers assuming a right to quarter 
themselves on any vessel which may be passing, 
without the slightest regard to the wishes of the 
passengers. On finding, however, that we were 
Englishmen, the bey permitted us to proceed without 
molestation, but the reis was severely reprimanded 
for his disobedience to orders. 

24th. — The wind still continuing unfavourable 
we came to an anchor, and went ashore near the 
little village of Goubadi. Nothing can exceed the 
beauty of the Delta at this season. One extensive 
plain presented itself to our view in the highest state 
of cultivation. The wheat was already in ear, and 
so productive is the soil that we counted seventeen 
stalks growing from a single grain. Flax, barley, 
lupines, and various other plants were springing up 
luxuriantly, and the beans and clover now in full 
blossom shed around a delightful perfume. The 
sun shone brightly ; large herds of oxen, sheep, 
goats, and camels were grazing ; birds of various 
kinds were hovering over the fields ; swallows were 
skimming over the surface of the river, and now 
and then a group of stately pelicans floated down 
the stream. 

To these beautiful appearances of nature nothing 



141 



could afford a stronger contrast than the squalid 
wretchedness of the houses and of their inhabitants. 
The former are built entirely of mud, and are sur- 
mounted by conical pigeon-houses of the same 
material, which at a distance have the appearance 
of stacks of chimneys. The men and women were 
universally in rags ; and the children both boys and 
girls, some of them not in their earliest years, came 
running towards us to ask for bacsheesh in a per- 
fect state of nature. 

Passing on the outside of the village we walked 
to Salhaggar, a considerable town, near which are 
the remains of the ancient Sais. Their extent is 
very great; but if we except a few mutilated statues 
and fragments of granite, nothing but a circuit of 
enormous mounds serves to distinguish the site of 
this once proud metropolis. 

We observed to-day several birds which we had 
not before seen. One was a beautiful specimen of 
the hoopoo tribe, about the size of a large thrush. 
The body and breast were of a dusky red, something 
like that of a bullfinch, the back and wings were 
barred with black, and on its head was a large crest 
of black and white feathers, which it raised or 
lowered at pleasure. We saw also several of the 
horned plovers, which are exactly like our common 
lapwing, except in having a strong curved horn or 
claw at the upper joint of the wing: and some 
beautiful birds of the crane kind, with a milk-white 
plumage. These latter are held in a sort of super- 



142 



stitious veneration by the natives, and we were 
cautioned not to kill them. 

26th.— At Algam we were interrupted by a cir- 
cumstance not unfrequent in navigating the Nile, — ■ 
a mutiny of the crew, who almost all left the boat 
and retired into the village. As they had been 
for three days harnessed together like horses, and 
towing for eight or ten hours a day without any 
more substantial fare than rice with a few peas or 
lentils intermixed, and a little sour curd, — we could 
not be very much surprised at their discontent ; and 
after threatening them in vain, we had recourse to 
the milder methods of persuasion and bacsheesh, 
and succeeded in bringing them to their posts in 
the evening. 

28th. — This morning, off the village of Ouardar, 
we caught the first view of the Pyramids. We were 
about thirty miles distant, but the sun was behind 
them, and threw out their forms very distinctly. 

About dusk we passed the opening of the Dami- 
etta branch of the Nile, above which the river be- 
comes much wider, perhaps not less than two miles 
across. It is proportionally shallow, and for the 
first time our progress was stopped by a sand- 
bank. The boatmen immediately stripped off their 
clothes, jumped into the water up to their necks, 
and after some efforts succeeded in shoving us off, 
and the wind being fresh and favourable, we reached 
Boulac, the port of Cairo, about midnight. We had 
occupied more than a week in this voyage, which 



143 



at a more favourable time of the year, when the 
Nile is high and the Etesian or northerly winds 
prevail, is ordinarily performed in thirty-six hours. 
Till the last day indeed we had made scarcely any 
progress except by towing. The novelty of the 
scene, however, the warmth of the sun, and the 
excellent shooting which the banks of the Nile 
afford, prevented us from finding our voyage at all 
tedious. 

29th. — Early in the morning we landed, and im- 
mediately set out for the city, which is about a mile 
and a half from the port, across a level plain. The 
best entrance to Cairo is on this side, as it passes 
through the great square called the Esbekiah. This 
was formerly surrounded by the houses of the Ma- 
maluke beys, and afforded some fine specimens of 
the old Egyptian style of building ; but the greater 
part of them having been destroyed in the dreadful 
convulsions which took place after the French and 
English forces evacuated the country, new houses 
have been built in the Turkish style, most of which 
are occupied by the pasha's household and other 
persons of distinction. The Esbekiah is inundated 
at the overflowing of the Nile, and during the reign 
of the Mamalukes was the scene of the gay pa- 
geantries which were then exhibited. The French 
had planted it with trees and otherwise embellished it, 
but after their expulsion, the Musulman indignantly 
destroyed every vestige of the improvements which 
they had made. From this place we entered almost 



144 



immediately into what is called the Frank quarter, 

consisting of a cluster of the darkest and narrowest 
streets in Cairo, the avenues to which are closed by 
gates, — a precaution very necessary in times when 
tumults and insurrections were more frequent. 

Through several of these gloomy alleys we passed 
to the house of the English consul, which, although 
its outward appearance was not very promising, we 
found within airy and pleasant, containing some 
spacious apartments, and having the advantage of 
a good garden shaded by lofty palm-trees, and laid 
out in gravel walks and shrubberies in the English 
fashion. Mr. Salt was absent on an excursion to 
Upper Egypt and Nubia, but Mr. Asiz the chief 
dragoman to the mission assigned us quarters in 
the consulate, an accommodation for which we felt 
much obliged, as the inns at Cairo are proverbially 
dirty and miserable, and Egypt is a country in which 
more than in anv other to be well lodged is essential 
to comfort. 

30th. — We visited the Citadel, passing in our 
way through the Bazar, and through some much 
wider and handsomer streets than those which we 
had seen the day before, and which had given us no 
very high idea of the magnificence of the Grand 
Cairo. We rode on asses, numbers of which are 
to be found stationed at the corners of almost 
every street, like the stands of hackney coaches in 
Europe. Each ass is attended by a boy, who runs 
before, and calling out continually u Riglek, rigleh^ 



145 



or iC Legs, legs/' warns the passengers to get out of 
the way ; a precaution very necessary, as the pace is 
a brisk trot or amble, and the streets swarm with 
people of whom one out of three is blind. The 
dexterity with wdiich the animals steer through the 
crowd almost without guiding is very admirable, 
and soon relieves the rider from the apprehension 
he would otherwise feel of striking his knees against 
the shovel stirrup of some proud Turk, whom he 
might meet on horseback. The odious distinction 
which prevented all Christians from riding on 
horseback in Cairo, and w T hich even compelled them 
to dismount from their more humble palfreys when- 
ever they passed the gates of a mosque, is now 
completely abolished. A French commander wish- 
ing to effect this revolution without shocking too 
much the prejudices of the Musulman, issued an 
order that they also should dismount when they 
passed the mosques ; and upon their objecting to 
this, he replied, " How then can you expect the 
Christians to pay more respect to your holy places 
than you are willing to do yourselves ?" 

The Citadel is built on a rock detached from the 
chain of the Mocattam mountains, which approach 
very near to the town on the eastern side. Before 
the invention of gunpowder its position was con- 
sidered very strong, but it is commanded from the 
neighbouring ridges. This circumstance, however, 
has not hindered the Pasha from expending large 
sums of money in repairing the walls and ap- 



146 



proaches, which had become much dilapidated by 
time, and by the several cannonadings which the 
castle had suffered during the occupation and after 
the expulsion of the French. The works were not 
yet completed, but the Pasha's Seraglio, built on 
that side of the rock which is steepest and which 
overlooks the city, was finished, and occasionally 
occupied by him. It consists of a very spacious 
hall, communicating with several large apartments, 
which, besides the usual Turkish luxuries of 
cushions and divans, are furnished with mirrors, 
clocks, and other specimens of European refine- 
ment, and are ornamented with some tolerable 
landscapes, painted in fresco on the walls by Greek 
or Armenian artists from Constantinople. Without, 
the prospect is vast and impressive, combining the 
extremes of prosperity and of desolation. The 
governor of Egypt may view with pride from the 
windows of his palace the city of Cairo, with its 
countless domes and busy population, the rich fields 
of the Delta, and the Nile which brings him the 
tribute of twenty provinces ; but the pyramids on 
one side, and the deserted tombs of the Mameluke 
sultans on the other, memorials of dynasties which 
have passed away before their works have perished, 
may remind him of the instability of his power. 

The other curiosities of the citadel have been 
fully described by every traveller who has written 
on Egypt for the last two hundred years. The Well 
of Joseph as it is called, whatever may have been 



147 



its origin, is a very remarkable excavation, being 
cut nearly three hundred feet deep in the solid rock, 
with a spacious gallery round it, extending spirally 
from top to bottom. The Hall of Joseph or YussufF, 
is now referred to the prince of that name, better 
known as Sultan Saladin ; and to compensate the 
patriarch for this ejectment, a modern traveller has 
assigned him a burial-place in the Pyramid of 
Cheops # . It is a large and lofty oblong building, 
constructed with what we should call Saxon arches, 
supported on granite pillars. Though it has long 
been roofless, yet such is the serenity of the climate 
that some inscriptions in the ancient Cufic character 
on a wooden frieze which runs round the interior, 
remain almost unimpaired. It is now used as a 
magazine for artillery, of which we saw a great 
variety of different ages and countries, from the 
Venetian of the fifteenth to the French and English 
of the nineteeth century. 

In front of the Seraglio was stationed a large 
body of the cavalry of the pasha's guard, whose 
appearance reminded us of what we had read of 
Mamaluke splendour, and exceeded in picturesque 
effect any military display which I ever saw in 
Europe. From the bright and varied hues of the 
dresses and turbans, and the richness of the equip- 
ments, the square which they occupied when seen 
from a distance looked like a bed of the gayest 
flowers. The clear atmosphere of Egypt gives to 
* See Clarke's Travels, ad loc. 



148 



colours their utmost brilliancy, and the Orientals 
have great taste in the choice of them. The raw 
scarlet and the heavy dark blue are scarcely in use ; 
crimson, purple, yellow, light green, pink and azure, 
are the favourites. No two soldiers are dressed 
alike ; but as the ample drapery of each individual is 
generally but of one colour, there is a greater va- 
riety and at the same time a greater breadth of effect, 
than can ever be produced by the little red, blue, 
and yellow patches of European uniforms. 

The pomp and splendour of the Turks and the 
soldiery at Cairo is in violent contrast with the ap- 
pearance of the unfortunate natives, of whom even 
the better classes avoid every thing like richness in 
their apparel in order to escape observation, while 
the poorer are almost universally in rags, insomuch 
that it would be difficult in passing through the 
streets to single out one of the Arab population 
whose dress should be perfectly entire. 

Cairo is one of the cities which has the privilege 
of coining, and the mint is in the citadel. Two 
things only in it were remarkable ; the extreme 
wretchedness of the workmen, and the excessive 
baseness of the coin. Of the latter, some idea may 
be formed, when we are told that a dollar which in 
other parts of the empire was at this time worth 
about 250 paras, at Cairo was coined into 360. 
The Egyptian piastre, composed of copper and base 
metals, is too bad to be current any where out of 
the immediate dominions of Mahomet Ali. 



149 



In descending from the citadel, a narrow pass 
sunk between walls and embarrassed with gateways, 
was pointed out to us as the spot where the me- 
morable massacre of the Mamalukes in the year 
1811 commenced ; an outrage which, whatever at- 
tempts may have been made to palliate it by the 
usual plea of state necessity, has scarcely a parallel 
even in the history of this empire, deeply as its 
annals are stained by perfidy and crime. A parti- 
cular spot in the wall is shown over which one of 
the Mamalukes, Amim Bey, in the desperation of 
the moment spurred his horse. The generous 
animal, conscious of his master s danger, cleared the 
leap, but fell headlong down a precipice of thirty 
feet on the other side. The rider escaped unhurt, 
and was still living a few years ago in the service 
of the Porte. 

In an open space just below the citadel stands 
the mosque of Sultan Hassan, which is reckoned 
the most splendid in Cairo. Its exterior is chiefly 
remarkable for the beauty of the masonry, being 
quite plain, with the exception of a gateway pro- 
fusely decorated with mouldings and ornaments, 
whic/h appeared to me to be precisely similar to 
those found in the Gothic buildings of England and 
France. 

The sun even at this time of the year at Cairo 
is scorchingly hot ; but a heavy dew falls in the 
evening accompanied by a degree of cold, which 
the large halls and open doorways are ill calculated 



150 



to resist. We were sitting this evening after dinner 
muffled up in our cloaks, when our attention was 
suddenly attracted by the voice of a person in the 
court, who was talking very loudly in English, and 
earnestly requesting or rather demanding to see 
Mr. Salt. Presently the Italian servant ran into 
the room, begging us to interpret the meaning of 
the stranger, whose vehemence seemed to have 
thrown him into great alarm ; and we ourselves were 
a little surprised, when we saw him followed in by 
a man of very wild appearance, whose figure in the 
dusk looked almost gigantic. His head was covered 
with close curling hair, his chin with a short tufted 
beard, and his nose flattened to his face gave a most 
ferocious character to his aspect. His legs and 
arms were bare ; the remainder of his person was 
covered with a flowing white drapery, over which 
was thrown the skin of some wild animal. A short 
sword hung by his side, a small round shield over 
one shoulder, and he brandished a spear in his 
hand, while he attempted with impatient gestures 
to explain his meaning to the astonished Italian. 
He became more calm, however, when we addressed 
him in his native language, to which he said he had 
been long unaccustomed, and informed us that his 
name was Nathaniel Pearce, that he had been one 
of Lord Valentia's attendants, and had left him to 
settle in Abyssinia, where he had remained fourteen 
years. In consequence of some disturbances which 
had of late broken out in that country, he had de- 



151 



termined, however, to leave it, and had come to 
Cairo by Mr. Salt's advice. From the singularity 
of his attire, the guards at the gate of the city would 
not believe that he was an Englishman, and refused 
him admittance for some time ; and his vexation at 
this detention, and the consequent loss of some of 
his baggage, he gave as an excuse for the violence 
of his manner when he first presented himself. 
My companion was I found already acquainted with 
his story, and we begged that an apartment might 
be assigned him, where in the course of the evening 
we paid him a visit. We found the floor strewed 
with Abyssinian arms and curiosities, among which 
was a cage containing a beautiful animal of the 
civet-cat kind, which he had brought from the 
forests of Tigre. His wife, an Abyssinian woman 
named Tringo, though of a deep copper complexion 
and though worn down by the fatigues of a long 
and perilous journey, retained some traces of beauty, 
which joined to an air of deep melancholy gave her 
altogether a very interesting appearance. She was 
sitting cross-legged on a mat ; and close crouching 
and half hid behind her was her servant, a little 
woolly-haired half-naked girl, called Cullum*, who 
seemed full of fun and gaiety, and delighted with 
the novelty of the scene. 

Another evening I was visited by a renegade 
European, who came to offer his services as an in- 

* An abbreviation of Cullumsis, which in the Abyssinian lan- 
guage means Revelation. 



152 



terpreter. Persons of this class are not at all un- 
common in Egypt. When the French army eva- 
cuated the country, about eight hundred individuals 
remained behind, who, had they united, would have 
perhaps been sufficiently strong to have turned the 
scale in favour of whichever party they had joined. 
But on the contrary, some attached themselves to 
the Mamalukes and others to the Turks. The 
former shared the fate of their masters. Of the 
latter, some still remain in the service of Mahomet 
Ali or his officers, and some few have settled and 
become cultivators. Their numbers have been much 
reduced by plague and other casualties, although 
their ranks have been occasionally recruited by 
refugees from Europe. The character of these 
men does not in general stand very high, as they 
are supposed to unite the vices both of their native 
and adopted countries, without possessing the vir- 
tues of either. For the national credit, however, I 
must exempt from this general censure the worthy 
Hadgi Osman, to whose good qualities almost every 
traveller in Egypt will bear testimony. He was 
a native of Perth, and belonged to a Highland 
regiment, but having the misfortune to be taken 
by the Turks in the unfortunate expedition of 1806, 
he became a slave, and of necessity a Musulman. 
The master to whom he belonged having quitted 
Egypt, he was deprived of the benefit of the ex- 
change of prisoners which took place at the end of 
the war, and it was not till some years afterwards 



153 



that Shekh Ibrahim (Burckhardt) met with him at 
Jedda, paid his ransom, and took him into his own 
service. He remained with the Shekh till his death, 
when he inherited a part of his property, and after- 
wards went into the employ of Mr. Salt, whom he 
attended in his excursions to Upper Egypt. He 
also frequently accompanied other travellers, and 
rendered himself extremely useful by his intelligence 
and fidelity, and by his knowledge of the manners 
and habits of the people of the country. 

The privilege of possessing slaves, which in other 
provinces of the Turkish empire is restricted to 
the faithful alone, is in Egypt common to all 
classes ; and the khan, where the slave-market is 
held, is not, as at Constantinople, closed against 
the Infidel. We visited it one morning, and its ap- 
pearance did not certainly confirm those ideas of 
misery and unhappiness which we are in the habit of 
attachingto such a scene. It was nowthe season when 
fresh caravans were daily expected ; but few slaves 
therefore remained unsold, and of the numerous 
cells which open into the courts and corridors of 
the khan, not more than five or six were occupied. 
To one of these our attention was attracted by 
some loud shouts of laughter ; and on approaching 
we found there about half a dozen girls all black 
as ink, the eldest probably about twelve or thirteen 
years old, which in these countries is the age of 
womanhood. They all seemed in the height of 
merriment; and when we presented ourselves at the 



154 



door of their apartment, one of the eldest, who had 
a lively smiling face and the whitest teeth imagi- 
nable., advanced towards us, arranging her very 
scanty drapery with the utmost coquetry, so as to 
show off to the best advantage a very pretty little 
figure. She offered us her hand, desired the inter- 
preter to say how happy she should be to belong to 
either of us, and seemed much disappointed when 
she heard that we were not purchasers, and that 
curiosity alone was the motive of our visit. Her 
price we were told was about twenty-five pounds. In 
another cell we were shown two Abyssinian girls, 
who being of a lighter colour were considered of 
much greater value ; but they were awkward squat 
figures, and their countenances were sulky and in- 
animate, without any of the lively expression of 
their black companions. It is observed, indeed, 
that of all the slaves brought to Cairo, the Abys- 
sinians alone seem to be melancholy, and to regret 
their native country : they have a great sensibility 
of disposition, and almost all of them sooner or 
later fall victims to the maladle du pays*. 

Throughout the Turkish empire slavery may be 
said to exist in its most mitigated form ; the con- 
dition of the domestic slaves (and there are no 
others) being superior to that of the peasantry, and 
equal to that of many classes of servants in more 
civilized states. They are I believe universally well 

* This was the case with Pearce's wife Tringo, who died within 
a few months after her arrival at Cairo. 



155 



treated, frequently grow rich in the service,, and are 
generally mueh attached to their masters and their 
families. Their good treatment is in some degree 
secured by the right which they possess of com- 
pelling their proprietors to sell them if they are 
dissatisfied with their situations. 

On Sunday January the 31st we went to the 
Coptic churchy a small building in an obscure part 
of the town. As we approached it we found all 
the avenues choked up with beggars, most impor- 
tunate in their requests, and exhibiting almost every 
variety of human suffering. The church was crowded 
to excess, chiefly with persons of the lower classes. 
The service seemed to be made up of the fantastical 
ceremonies and nasal chaunt which are common to 
all the Eastern Christians. I remarked that the 
priest not only partook of the consecrated wafer 
himself, but administered it also to the ragged boys 
who officiated as acolytes. After church we were 
invited to pay a visit to a wealthy Coptic merchant, 
named Hannah Towecl, or in English " Long John," 
who received us with the usual ceremonies, and at 
whose house we saw the patriarch of the nation, a 
very well-behaved and venerable-looking man. 

The Copts, a remnant of the ancient inhabitants 
of the country, are still the most numerous body 
of Christians existing in Egypt ; but since the re- 
establishment of the Turkish power they have had 
much less influence than they formerly possessed 
in the management of public affairs. During the 



156 



reign of the indolent and luxurious Mamalukes, 
the department of the revenue was entirely in their 
hands, all the secrets of its amount and its mode of 
collection were known to them alone, and they 
were consequently able to commit with impunity 
every sort of peculation. The French endeavoured 
in vain to dispense with their services, having never 
been able to collect the taxes without their as- 
sistance, and it remained for Mahomet Ali to break 
the fiscal chain, which for centuries they had im- 
posed on every government the country had fallen 
under. 

Like most of the Oriental Christian nations, the 
Copts are divided into two parties ; the Catholics 
who have made their peace with Rome and acknow- 
ledge the authority of the pope, and the schismatics 
who have a patriarch of their own and are among 
the representatives of the Monophysite heresy, 
which for so long a period convulsed the church 
and the empire # . The wily Turk made use of the 
powerful engine of religious discord to excite 
jealousy between the two parties, and by alternately 
favouring one and the other, succeeded at length 
in finding out their secrets, and in making himself 
independent of both. Having secured to himself 
the means of managing the revenue for the future, 
he then proceeded to extort from the late financiers 
some of their ill-gotten wealth. The intrepidity 
and patience with which many of these victims 
* See Gibbon, chap. 47. 



157 

endured the most cruel tortures rather than disclose 
their own treasures and those of their fellow-coun- 
trymen, would in another cause have procured them 
the crown of martyrdom ; but in these countries the 
love of money is the sole spring of action, and even 
the virtues can be called into exercise by sordid mo- 
tives alone. The concealment of their wealth till 
it was wrung from them by stripes, seems to have 
been the point of honour among these Coptic 
scribes, as it was among their forefathers in ancient 
times # . One of them in Upper Egypt is said to 
have endured the repeated tortures of the bastinado 
from sunrise to sunset before he disclosed his secret, 
which he did at last, saying " I think I have now 
suffered enough for my nation :" — and the Malim 
Ghaly, the chief of the Catholic party, who was now 
at the head of the treasury, had himself received a 
thousand stripes on the soles of his feet before he 
would consent to pay the fine imposed upon him. 

February 1 . — We set out at day-break and rode 
to Old Cairo, from whence we crossed the river to 
Gizeh. We there found a number of Arabs with 
asses, eagerly offering their services to conduct us 
to " Gebal Faroun" or the Mountains of Pharaoh, 
as they call the Pyramids. About an hour s ride 
over a well cultivated plain intersected by numerous 

* " It was held disgraceful by the ancient Egyptians not to be 
able to exhibit stripes upon their body for a denial of the tribute." 
— See quotations from iElian and Ammianus Marcellinus, in Ha- 
milton's JEgyptiaca, page 309. 



158 



canals brought us to the edge of the Desert, and in 
half an hour more we arrived at the foot of those 
stupendous monuments. 

In common I believe with all persons who have 
visited them we were at first disappointed. The 
gradual approach over an extended plain diminishes 
in great measure the effect which their vast magni- 
tude would otherwise produce, and the pyramidal 
form, however beautiful, is not so well calculated to 
give an idea of great height as a taper spire. It is 
not till they have been surveyed in different points 
of view, and till the comparative insignificance of 
every surrounding object animate and inanimate 
has been observed, that the mind becomes fully 
awake to their simple grandeur. They are most 
impressive perhaps when contemplated in the still- 
ness and solitude of the night. Their dimensions 
seem magnified in the clear dark sky, and we feel 
a sentiment approaching to awe on reflecting that 
we are in the presence of the most ancient, the 
most authentic, and the most celebrated wonders of 
the world, and on the very spot perhaps where 
" the chief and the philosopher and the poet of the 
times of old" have stood to gaze and admire like 
ourselves. 

To explore the interior of the great pyramid, 
which in former times was a difficult undertaking, 
had lately been rendered easy by the exertions of 
Captain Caviglia, a Genoese, who had caused some 
of the principal passages to be cleared of the rub- 



159 



bish which blocked them up, and in so doing had 
discovered the mystery of the well, which since the 
days of Pliny* had been the object of so much spe- 
culation, and which seems in reality to have been 
merely a private way left by the workmen to com- 
municate immediately from the lower to the upper 
chamber. The principal passages and galleries 
which lead to the great chamber where the sarco- 
phagus is deposited, are composed of immense 
blocks of granite put together with great exactness. 
The chamber itself is thirty-six feet long, twelve 
wide, and twenty high ; and nothing perhaps can 
give a more lively idea of the magnitude of the 
building, than its having been found upon calcula- 
tion, after allowing a sufficient thickness for external 
and partition wails, to be capable of containing 
more than three thousand chambers of the same 
dimensions^. Whether any others actually exist 
it would be very difficult to decide ; but it seems a 
more probable supposition, that the immense mass 
was designed as a sepulchre for a single individual. 

The ascent to the top of the great Pyramid, though 
laborious from the height of the external blocks 
wiiich form the steps, is neither difficult nor dan- 
gerous. The view from the summit stretches to 
the westward over the sands of the Libyan desert, 
and is varied on the eastward by the green fields of 
the Delta and the spires of Cairo. At sunrise and 
sunset it is curious to observe the vast extent of 
* Hist. Nat. 36, 16. f See Quarterly Review. 



160 



the shadow which the building throws over the 
plain. The platform at the top is about twelve feet 
square, and every stone is covered with the names 
of persons who have been anxious to record their 
visit. Many of these are of the greatest distinction ; 
and it is natural enough even for more obscure in- 
dividuals to attempt to give a sort of immortality 
to their own name, by inscribing it on these im- 
perishable monuments. 

The second pyramid, commonly called that of 
Cephrenes, had been opened the year before by 
Belzoni, who has given in his Travels a minute and 
interesting account of his operations, and of the 
discoveries they led to. It is nearly as lofty as that 
of Cheops, but differs from it both in its external 
construction and interior arrangement. The out- 
side was originally faced with slabs of granite, and 
a part of this casing still remains near the top, 
whereas it is very doubtful whether the larger py- 
ramid was ever in a more finished state than we 
now see it, as no fragments of granite are scattered 
round its base, and the layers of masonry are more 
regular. The entrance into both is at the same 
height from the ground ; but in the great pyramid 
the principal chamber is higher up in the building, 
and you ascend to it from the entrance ; while in 
the other it is cut in the rock, and the avenue of 
course slopes downward. 

The colossal statue of the Sphinx is seated at 
some distance to the north-east of the pyramids. A 



161 



large space round it had been excavated by Mr. Salt 
the year before, and some curious remains and in- 
scriptionsj chiefly Roman, were discovered, but no- 
thing which could throw any clear light on its ori- 
ginal design. The sand soon rushed into the chasm ; 
and the figure, now again buried to the shoulders, 
remains to exercise the ingenuity of some future 
CEdipus. 



M 



162 



CHAPTER VI. 

VOYAGE UP THE NILE. 

Having visited the principal objects of curiosity in 
Cairo and the neighbourhood, we began to make 
preparations for a voyage up the Nile. Mr. Jowett 
agreed to take Pearce with him in his boat, and I 
hired as an interpreter a Greek called Constantino 
Dracopolo, a fine-looking fellow gaily dressed a la 
Turque, but who, in spite of his promising appear- 
ance and high-sounding name, turned out as vain 
and useless a poltroon as I ever met with. 

We each engaged a cangia at the rate of four 
hundred piastres, or about ten pounds, a month, in- 
cluding every expense ; the crew consisting of the 
reis or commander, and seven or eight Arab sailors. 
The cangia is an open boat with a latticed cabin at 
the stern. This in mine was just large enough to 
contain a bedstead made of light basket-work, which 
served for a sofa in the day-time, a couple of chairs, 
and a small table, upon which the dishes were placed 
by means of a trap door, like a buttery-hatch, cut in 
the front. An awning of palm leaves on the out- 
side formed the servants' apartment, and before the 
mast was a large lump of kneaded clay hollowed 
out in the middle, which served for kitchen range, 
and in windy weather often put the patience of the 
cook to severe trial. 



163 



As bread, dry fowls, and lean sheep, are the only 
provisions to be procured in Upper Egypt, it was 
necessary to lay in a supply of other articles before- 
hand. Our stores consisted chiefly of rice, and of 
the dried apricots of Damascus called Mish-mish, 
which when boiled have a very agreeable flavour, 
and are considered very wholesome. I had pro- 
vided myself at Alexandria with a stock of light 
Medoc wine, the moderate use of which is a 
great preservative of health in hot climates ; and I 
had also procured from an English vessel in the 
harbour a quantity of porter and of port wine. 
The former, though most refreshing and invigora- 
ting after a long day's exercise in a broiling sun, is 
too strong and heavy to be frequently indulged in 
with impunity. The latter I was glad to have the 
power of dispensing occasionally to persons suffer- 
ing from dysentery, the prevailing disease of the 
country, for which it may be considered as almost 
a specific. To these were added a liberal allowance 
of Latakia tobacco and some canisters of gunpowder 
for presents. 

The narrative of a voyage on the Nile cannot be 
very entertaining, the incidents being little more 
than a repetition of rowing and tow T ing, fair and 
contrary winds, now and then running on a sand- 
bank, and occasionally a mutiny of the boatmen. 
The police of the country was at this time so good, 
and such perfect tranquillity prevailed, that there 
w r ere no " hair-breadth 'scapes," no attacks from 

m 2 



164 



thieves or banditti to be recorded., as in the times of 
the older travellers, The voyage from Cairo to the 
Cataracts might be performed with as much security, 
and almost with as much ease, as an excursion on 
the Thames ; and in my progress up and down the 
Nile, I fell in with not less than five or six parties 
of Englishmen, and several of other Europeans. 

We slept on board our boats on the night of the 
6th of February; and the next morning, after some 
difficulty in collecting the sailors, most of whom had 
stolen away during the night to take leave of their 
wives and sweethearts, we left our moorings. Since 
our voyage from Rosetta the river had fallen con- 
siderably; the sand-banks appeared more frequently, 
and the channel was in many places much con- 
tracted. On this and the following day we made 
very little progress, as either the wind was contrary 
or it was a dead calm, and the men were obliged 
to drag the boat. 

On the 9th, early in the morning, we anchored 
near a little village where another boat was lying, 
which we were told belonged to some Europeans. 
On going ashore, I saw walking towards us a man 
of colossal size^ dressed in handsome Turkish 
clothes, and with a fine flowing beard. It was 
Belzoni, whom we now saw for the first time. He 
addressed us with great frankness, and invited us 
on board his boat, where he showed us the renowned 
alabaster sarcophagus from the tomb of Psammis, 
and the original casts from the bas-reliefs which 



165 



were afterwards exhibited in London and Paris. 
We passed the morning very agreeably in listening 
to his account of the discoveries he had made in 
Upper Egypt and Nubia, with the details of which 
we were hitherto unacquainted ; and we regretted 
that he was not now proceeding in the same direc- 
tion with ourselves. 

10th. — We had an opportunity of witnessing the 
true Egyptian sirocco, which set in this afternoon. 
The air became dark and murky, as if from the 
effect of an eclipse, or rather perhaps of a thick 
London fog. The atmosphere was loaded with 
clouds of sand of so line and penetrating a quality, 
that almost in an instant, our tables, our books and 
our clothes, were covered with it ; while the wind, 
hot as the breath of a furnace, produced a parched 
and clammy feeling on the skin, and a feverishness 
throughout the whole frame, which can hardly be 
conceived by those who have not felt it. The 
slightest clothing seemed a burden, and the only 
refreshment we could find was from continual 
bathing in the river. 

12th. — We first observed the wheat harvest be- 
ginning. 

14th. — The weather having been for the last 
twenty-four hours exceedingly sultry, a slight breeze 
at length sprung up from the north, for the first 
time since we had left Cairo. We took advantage 
of it, and instead of coming to an anchor in the 
evening as was our usual custom, we kept on through 



166 



the night, and arrived early the next morning at 
Minieh, one of the principal towns of the Lower 
Said. Here we met Mr. Brine, an Englishman who 
superintended the pasha's sugar-works atErramouni 
a little higher up the river. He was making a cir- 
cuit of the neighbouring villages to collect from 
the " fellahs," or peasants, the raw sugar which 
they extract from the canes, and which was after- 
wards refined at his manufactory. He gave us a 
pressing invitation to his house, and we promised 
to pay him a visit. 

16th. — About the middle of the day we reached 
the village of Shekh Abadie, near which are the 
remains of Antinoe, a city founded by Adrian in 
memory of his favourite Antinous, who was drowned 
near the spot. An avenue of columns leads from 
the river to the western gate, which consisted of 
three arches, and is still tolerably perfect. From 
thence a street ran east and west through the city, 
and was intersected near the centre by another run- 
ning north and south. The intersection or qua- 
drivium is marked by the pedestals of four Corin- 
thian pillars, the shafts of which have been thrown 
down ; and near the northern gate are four other 
columns similarly placed, which probably denote 
the site of a forum or some place of public assembly. 
One of them is still standing, and has an inscription 
on its base " To the good fortune of Marcus Aure- 
lius." The principal streets appear to have been 
lined on each side with a row of columns of small 



167 



dimensions, supporting perhaps a portico in front 
of the houses. Of the eastern gate two piers only 
are standing; but there are many fragments of 
capitals, friezes, and cornices scattered on the 
ground. Between the east gate and the quadrivium 
are large remains of a temple or temples. The 
south gate is in good preservation, and is by far the 
best specimen of architecture that remains. It had 
originally six fine fluted Corinthian pillars and two 
pilasters, but only three are now standing. Near 
it is a theatre built against the side of the rock, 
and commanding a view of a bold bend of the river, 
which sweeps round the fertile plain on which the 
city is placed. With the exception of the avenue 
of columns leading from the river, and a few others, 
these constructions are all of soft stone ; but many 
fragments of granite and marble are scattered about, 
together with vast quantities of bricks and pottery. 
The Corinthian order prevails, though it is occa- 
sionally intermixed with the Ionic, and the style of 
architecture in general indicates the declining taste 
of the Antonine age. The ruins, however, are in- 
teresting, both from historical associations and be- 
cause they are sufficiently well preserved to give a 
perfect idea of the arrangement of a Roman city. 

The stock of clothes which I had brought with 
me from Europe being nearly exhausted, I assumed 
to-day the Oriental dress, which I continued to 
wear ail the time I remained in the Levant. I 
do not, however, in general recommend its adop- 



168 



tion, except in those places where the prejudices 
of the people render it necessary : for although 
the superior dignity and grace which it gives to 
the figure may flatter the personal vanity of the 
wearer, its cumbrousness will constantly check his 
activity, and multiply the temptations to indolence 
which in a hot country are always sufficiently 
abundant. There is one circumstance, however, 
which Hi a v recommend it to some travellers ; — the 
change of appearance efiSscted by the resumption 
of the Frank costume is so complete, that it will 
enable them, on their return to Europe, safely to 
avoid noticing those persons with whom in the 
East they may have been connected by the ties of 
familiarity or obligation, but whom it may not be 
agreeable to recognise in more polite countries. 

17th. — We passed the day at Erramouni, or Ra- 
damouni as it is sometimes called. Mr. Brine was 
not yet returned, but we received every attention 
and hospitality from his lady and numerous house- 
hold. The sugar manufactory and rum distillery 
over which he presided, employed about fifty work- 
men, collected from various countries : Turks and 
Arabs, Frenchmen and Englishmen, Spaniards, 
Italians, Germans, Greeks and Ragusans, composed 
the motley assemblage. 

We were provided with horses to ride to Ash- 
mounien, a village at about two miles distant, on 
the site of the ancient Hermopolis, one of the most 
considerable cities in Egypt. It is remarkable for 



169 



a magnificent portico consisting of twelve columns, 
placed in two rows, with their architraves entire. 
They are nearly fifty feet high, and thirty in cir- 
cumference at the widest part. They swell suddenly 
from the base ; the surface is perpendicularly in- 
dented or reeded, and they are encircled at equal 
distances by horizontal bands, composed of five 
narrow fillets cut in the stone. The grandeur and 
simplicity of their style, and their advantageous 
situation on an eminence detached from all other 
buildings, give them a very imposing appearance ; 
and their effect was heightened by their being the 
first specimens of Egyptian architecture to which 
we were introduced, and from the contrast which 
they exhibit to the diminutive style of the ruins at 
Antinoe which we had just visited. 

The day was extremely sultry, and about noon 
there was a slight shower, which in this district was 
thought rather a singular circumstance. An Italian 
who accompanied us in our ride, and who had lived 
four years at Erramouni, told us it was the first 
rain he had seen there. In the evening we took 
leave of our hosts : but their kindness was not con- 
fined to their own roof, for on returning to our 
boat we found that they had sent us two sheep, 
together with a supply of rum and sugar, and some 
very fine potatoes and other European vegetables, 
which we had not tasted for a long time. 

About Erramouni the scenery on the right bank 
of the Nile assumes a different character. Bold 



1/0 



cliffs towering over a vast extent of flat country 
present themselves in different points of view, as 
the river winds through the plain at a less or greater 
distance, and a fine effect of colour is produced by 
the contrast of their light sandy hue with the bright 
blue of the sky above them, and with the deep green 
of the palms and sycamores at their base. Soon 
after we embarked a breeze sprung up from the 
northward, which during the night freshened into 
so strong a gale, that I was not without some alarm 
for the safety of the boat, the large cumbrous sail 
requiring so much time to shift or lower it, that I 
thought we could scarcely escape being driven on 
shore. We succeeded at length, however, in moor- 
ing under the shelter of a small island ; and in the 
morning the wind had moderated to a favourable 
breeze^ which wafted us rapidly past Manfalout, and 
brought us in the evening to the port of Siout. 

19th. — In the morning we rode up to the town, 
which is about a mile distant from the river, and 
paid a visit to Dr. Marrucchi, a Piedmontese phy- 
sician and agent to the English consul. By his 
assistance we procured a fresh supply of money 
from the Armenian Saraff or government banker, 
who having continually occasion to make remit- 
tances to Cairo, is always ready to cash bills on 
that place. Siout has succeeded to Girgeh as the 
metropolis and seat of government of Upper Egypt. 
It is only of late years that it has thus advanced 
into consequence, and it has a more modern appear- 



171 



ance than most of the Egyptian towns. It was 
necessary to provide ourselves with a fresh teschereh 
or passport, to pursue our voyage into the Upper 
Country ; and to obtain this we went accompanied 
by Dr. Marrucchi to pay a visit to the governor, 
whom we found, according to ancient custom, iC sit- 
ting at the gate." He was a handsome man of about 
forty years of age, son-in-law to Mahomet Ali, and 
distinguished by the title of Defterdar Bey. He 
was surrounded by a number of his officers ; and 
beside him on the divan lay a number of pistols and 
fowling-pieces, chiefly of English make. These he 
handed to us one by one, and asked our opinion 
upon them ; and during almost all the time we 
stayed with him his conversation turned upon fire- 
arms, in the use of which he was said to be exceed- 
ingly dexterous. He was very polite in his man- 
ners, and ordered our passports to be given us im- 
mediately. 

20th. — We passed El Gour, the ancient Antaeo- 
polis, where a few years back were considerable 
remains of a very beautiful temple. Part of the 
building, however, had been washed away by the 
overflowing of the river, and part removed, in order 
that the materials might be employed on Ibrahim 
Pasha's palace at Gizeh. One solitary column 
alone now remained, half-buried among the ruins 
of its companions, whose fate it soon afterwards 
shared. This evening for the first time we saw a 
crocodile : it was a small one, not exceeding ten feet 



in lengthy and lay quietly on a sand-bank till we came 
within twenty yards of it, when it crawled slowly 
into the river. These animals are seldom found 
below Siout. 

21st. — We went ashore for a short time at Ak- 
mim, which was formerly a place of consequence, 
and one of the most considerable ports on the Nile. 
It is one of the stations of the missionaries of the 
Terra Santa, and a Franciscan friar resides there. 
In the evening we passed Girgeh, which was for- 
merly the capital of Upper Egypt, but which, since 
the seat of government has been transferred to 
Siout, has fallen to decay. It has still, however, a 
large bazar, and a garrison of four hundred Alba- 
nians. A number of handsome minarehs bespeak 
its ancient importance. 

22nd. — As we ascended the river, the villages were 
less thickly scattered along its banks. We met 
today a large bark belonging to the wife of some 
person of distinction in Morocco, who was return- 
ing with her suite from Mecca. In the evening 
we passed Farshiout, at some distance from which 
to the westward are the remains of the ancient 
Abydos. 

23rd. — Today we observed the doum-tree, a spe- 
cies of the palm tribe, but differing from the com- 
mon date-tree both in its general appearance^ which 
is more stunted and bushy^ and in the shape of its 
leaves, which are shorter and more indented. It 
bears a sort of fruit about the size, shape, and 



173 



colour of a potatoe, but so hard that it rather re- 
sembles wood. By boiling, however, we were told 
that some sustenance might be extracted from it. 

24th. — It was a perfect calm, and the heat was 
so great that in the cabin, where there was always 
a slight current of air, the thermometer varied 
between eighty and ninety. In spite of this high 
temperature, however, our men worked with great 
cheerfulness, dragging the boat or rowing as cir- 
cumstances required. The latter labour they ac- 
companied according to their usual custom with a 
sort of chaunt. One of the crew is generally an 
improvisatore, and he begins by singing a short 
song, which often alludes to some passing occur- 
rence of the day. The others repeat this in chorus, 
or sometimes invent a response of their own. Their 
music is shrill and inharmonious, but it afforded 
some relief to the ennui which the slowness of our 
progress could scarcely fail to occasion. 

About noon one of the boatmen suddenly cried 
out " Timsar, Timsar !" "A crocodile, A crocodile !" 
and I soon espied six or eight very large ones coiled 
up, and basking or asleep on a sand-bank in the 
middle of the river. They permitted us to ap- 
proach within about two hundred yards, when they 
seemed reluctantly to rouse themselves, and crawled 
slowly into the water. One of them kept floating 
round the boat for some time, now and then raising 
his snout above the surface. We fired several shots 
at him, but without effect. 



1/4 



In the afternoon we arrived at the little village 
of Denderah, on the western bank of the river, which 
still retains its ancient name, and is situated as of 
old amid a large grove of palm-trees*. The pea- 
sants soon assembled^ bringing with them some 
half-starved asses, on which we rode to the temples, 
which are about two miles inland, just at the edge 
of the Desert. In former times it is probable that 
cultivation extended to the foot of the mountains, 
which are about two miles further, but the inter- 
vening space has in the progress of ages been over- 
whelmed by the accumulation of sand. 

The temples of Denderah have been celebrated 
by all travellers as among the most beautiful on the 
banks of the Nile; and so far as regards the ele- 
gance of their proportions, the multiplicity and rich- 
ness of their ornaments, and the minute and perfect 
finishing of every part, they must be admitted to be 
unrivalled, although they may want some of those 
beauties of a higher order which are to be found 
elsewhere. Passing through a lofty propylon, now 
much dilapidated, we arrived in front of the principal 
temple, dedicated to Isis. It has a portico supported 
by three rows of massive columns thirty feet high, 
with square capitals, on each side of which the 
face of the goddess was sculptured in high relief. 
Though every one of these has been defaced by 
Christian or Mahometan iconoclasts, yet enough 
remains to show that they were characterized by 
* Umbrosis Tentyra palmis. Juv. Sat. 15. 



175 

that tranquil style of beauty which the Egyptian 
artists were fond of expressing, and which seemed 
particularly appropriate to the character of that 
benevolent deity. Behind the portico is a range of 
small gloomy apartments ; and a stone staircase 
leads to the roof and to an upper range of chambers. 
The roof is composed of very large blocks of stone, 
supported by the walls and columns : one of them 
which I measured was twenty-five feet long, eight 
wide, and as many in thickness. On the ceiling of 
one of the upper rooms we saw the famous circular 
zodiac, first noticed by the savans who accompa- 
nied Buonaparte, and which has since been the sub- 
ject of so much learned disquisition. It was now 
so blackened by the torches of the curious, that the 
figures were scarcely distinguishable. About three 
years afterwards an enterprising Frenchman pro- 
jected its removal. He repaired to Cairo without 
avowing his purpose, and took his measures with so 
much promptitude and secrecy, that before the rival 
collectors even suspected his design, the stones of 
the ceiling were already on their way to Alexandria ; 
and the zodiac may now be seen on the floor of 
one of the saloons of the Louvre. 

Every part of the temple, both within and without, 
the walls, the ceilings, the columns, and the cornices, 
are covered with a profusion of bas-reliefs, which 
is truly astonishing. Deities, kings, priests, pro- 
cessions, sacrifices, and a variety of other subjects, 
present themselves in perpetual succession. Some 



176 



of the female figures in these representations are 
well designed, and there is a great delicacy and 
softness of expression in the countenances ; but 
they have the stiffness of attitude which belongs to 
almost all the later works of the Egyptians. In 
their likenesses of the brute creation the artists were 
generally very successful, and we observed some 
lion's heads on the outside of the temple which 
might almost rival Canova's. 

At some distance from the great temple is another 
propylon, buried in sand and rubbish to within a few 
feet of the architrave. The temple to which it con- 
ducted is in ruins ; but there still remains a smaller 
one, which has been supposed to have been dedi- 
cated to Typhon, as there are figures of that mon- 
ster on the capitals. It was, however, in reality 
sacred to Horus or Harpocrates the son of Isis 
and Osiris ; and the little deity is to be found re- 
presented in the interior of the temple with his 
finger on his lip, perched lightly on the cup of a 
lotus. 

These temples are all built of a sandstone of no 
very great hardness, which in any other climate 
would long ago have lost every trace of the work- 
man's hand; whereas here all the angles are as sharp, 
and many of the bas-reliefs as perfect, as on the 
day they were executed. On the cornice of the 
great temple is a Greek inscription to Tiberius, 
and on one of the propyla a similar one to Anto- 
ninus Pius. When the Egyptian temples were 



177 



universally considered to have been built by the na- 
tive sovereigns of the country, and to have been all 
anterior to the age of Alexander at least, if not of 
Cambyses, these and other inscriptions of the same 
class were supposed only to commemorate their 
having been repaired or beautified by Greek or 
Roman princes. Mr. Hamilton was, I believe, one of 
the first writers who attributed the erection of many 
of them to the Ptolemies, or even to a later gera # , 
and who conjectured that the dedications were 
in some cases at least coeval with the buildings. 
This is now the received opinion ; and the Greek in- 
scriptions, combined with an accurate observation of 
the different styles of architecture and of sculpture, 
have afforded a clue by which a practised eye may 
judge of the comparative antiquity of many edifices, 
as to the date of which even conjecture was once 
thought hopeless. We remained at the temple till 
late in the evening and rode back by moonlight, and 
afterwards crossed the river to Kenneh, where we 
moored for the night. 

25th. — Kenneh is a place of considerable impor- 
tance^ being the principal point of communication 
between the Nile and the Red Sea. It is provided 
with excellent baths and a good bazar, and has all 
the bustle and activity of a port town, with a corre- 
sponding dissoluteness of manners. In the outskirts 

* An inscription found by Mr. W. Bankes near Esneh, shows 
that the art of hieroglyphic writing was known and practised as 
late vis the reigns of the Antonines. 



178 



we observed several encampments of Mogrebins, 
who were returning from Mecca ; and we were told 
that ten thousand pilgrims from different nations 
passed every year through the town. A garrison 
of four or five hundred men is stationed there, for 
the supply of escorts to Cosseir on the Red Sea, 
which is three days' journey. Kenneh is also re- 
markable for its extensive potteries. Almost all 
the earthenware used in Egypt is made there, and 
it is not uncommon to see floating down the river 
large rafts composed of pots, jars, and pipkins, 
fastened together with leaves of the date-tree, with 
the owners and their families embarked upon them. 

On the right bank of the river above Kenneh 
were situated the towns of Coptos and Apollino- 
polis, successively the emporia of the trade to Be- 
renice on the Red Sea, which in modern times has 
been transferred to Kenneh and Cosseir. The 
name of Coptos is preserved in the modern one of 
Keft, and there are extensive ruins of the ancient 
town. Apollinopolis is now called Kous, and has 
also some remains of antiquity. We did not visit 
either of these places, but proceeded up the river, 
and arrived in the evening at Gournou, a village on 
the western bank, and near the northern boundary 
of the plain of Thebes. 

From the vast extent of this plain and the great 
distance which intervenes between the different 
monuments which are scattered over it, it seems a 
probable supposition that ancient Thebes was not 



179 



one regularly walled city, but that it consisted of a 
number of contiguous towns or hamlets. It now 
presents a somewhat similar appearance on a re- 
duced scale, as almost every temple is surrounded 
by a village. That of Gournou, which is sometimes 
called El Ebek, is at no great distance from the 
foot of the western or Libyan mountains, which 
at this spot approach within three quarters of a 
mile of the river. Like all the sacred edifices of 
the Egyptians, it consists of a portico with a range 
of apartments behind it : but it differs from most 
of them in having only one row of columns to 
support the portico, and the inner chambers are 
smaller than usual. It is considered to be one of 
the most ancient temples, but in its present state 
it is not one of the most magnificent. From its 
vicinity to the river the columns have become 
nearly half-buried in the alluvial soil ; and having 
been used by the natives as a place of retreat, it is 
much clogged up with dirt and rubbish, and has 
altogether a dilapidated appearance. 

From Gournou a road leads up a ravine in the 
mountains to an open space surrounded on all sides 
by steep rocks, in which are excavated the tombs 
of the Egyptian kings. All of them that have 
hitherto been discovered are nearly on the same 
plan. A broad passage leads into one or more 
lofty saloons which are flanked by smaller chambers, 
and the walls are richly ornamented with paintings, 
alluding to the mysterious doctrines and ceremo- 

n 2 



180 



nies of the Egyptian religion, and showing at 
how early a period the human mind had begun to 
indulge in speculation as to its future state and 
destiny. 

By far the most interesting of these sepulchres 
is that called the Tomb of Psammis, which had 
been recently opened by Belzoni, and is fully de- 
scribed in his work. Never having been exposed 
to the air or to wanton injury, the paintings are in 
perfect preservation, and their colours are as bril- 
liant as the first day they were put on. One apart- 
ment appears never to have been finished, as the 
figures all remain in outline ; but this is so fresh, 
that it seems as if the artist had but just quitted 
his work and was about to return to complete it. 
The passage that leads into the tomb slopes down- 
wards, and on the sides there are various groups of 
figures, among which is distinguished the deceased 
prince, who appears to be going through various 
initiatory ceremonies previously to being admitted 
into the society of the Gods. The passage opens 
into a vestibule supported by six massive square 
pillars, where the deities are represented welcoming 
the hero to their abodes, and Isis is presenting him 
with the " crux ansata," the emblem of sovereignty. 
Within the vestibule is the apartment where the 
sarcophagus was deposited ; a lofty oblong hall 
with a vaulted ceiling, on which are painted some 
uncouth figures, supposed to have reference to as- 
tronomy. 



181 



In one of the side chambers are depicted the 
trophies of the deceased. Captives dressed in the 
various costumes of the conquered countries, among 
which it has been thought that Jews, Persians, and 
Ethiopians may be recognised, are led along in 
procession with their arms tied behind them. Some 
of them are bending down, and await the stroke of 
the executioner ; the heads of others are alreadv 
seen rolling at his feet; and the whole scene attests 
the barbarity of ancient warfare. The largest of the 
tombs now open is that described by Mr. Brace, 
who first introduced the merits of Egyptian paint- 
ing to the incredulity of modern Europe ; and the 
well-known figures of the Harpers are still to be 
seen there. Its plan and dimensions are more 
magnificent than those of the other tombs, and the 
paintings in the grand apartments are in a bolder 
and more flowing style. In the galleries or smaller 
apartments on each side of the principal entrance 
there are also some subjects which are more in- 
teresting than the continual repetition of gods and 
heroes, as they illustrate the private life and do- 
mestic ceconomy of the Egyptians. Among these 
are delineations of different articles of dress and 
furniture, arms, armour, culinary utensils, and agri- 
cultural implements. As this tomb, however, has 
been open for ages, and has been made a dwelling 
place occasionally by the native troglodytes, the 
drawings are very much defaced, and the colouring 
is entirely faded. 



182 



At the extremity of the inner chamber a passage 
leads further into the rock ; but on our attempting 
to explore it a legion of bats sallied forth, and 
flying directly at our lights, extinguished them in 
an instant, and covered us with such a cloud of dust 
that we were glad to retire. 

Of the forty tombs which were reported to exist 
when Strabo wrote, about ten or twelve are now- 
open. They are in different states of preservation, 
but they are all curious from the infinite variety of 
the representations on their walls. 

From the Bab el Maluk, or " gate of the kings," 
(as this valley of sepulchres is called,) a steep path 
leads to the ridge of the mountains, from whence 
there is a view of the whole plain of Thebes with 
its various antiquities, and a fine reach of the Nile. 
The eastern face of the mountains is one vast ceme- 
tery, and in descending into the plain we continually 
passed the openings of the mummy pits, and almost 
stumbled over the bodies which had been extracted 
from them. Some of them still remained in their 
original grave-clothes ; some were stripped of all 
their cerements and yet remained entire ; and others 
had been broken into fragments and scattered about, 
exhibiting altogether a most disgusting spectacle. 
The resinous substance with which the cavities of 
the head and trunk were filled in the process of 
embalming is used for various purposes, and the 
profits arising from the sale of it are sufficient to 
induce the savage natives thus to violate the repose 



183 



of the tomb. Their labours are sometimes better 
rewarded^ by the discovery of the more curious 
mummies which are sought for by travellers and 
collectors. 

We reached the plain at a spot several miles to 
the southward of Gournou, and proceeded to the 
Medinet Abou, which is about equidistant from the 
mountains and the river. The vast mass of build- 
ings known by that name is so choked up with 
the ruins of more modern brick structures, that 
it is difficult to discover its original design. It 
is supposed to have comprised a royal palace and 
two temples, the largest of which is the most mag- 
nificent to be found in the western division of 
Thebes. It was approached by two gateways con- 
nected by a colonnade on each side, together form- 
ing a quadrangle. Within the inner gate is the 
portico of the temple, on the walls of which is a 
series of bas-reliefs, representing battles, sieges, 
and triumphal processions, frightful from the bar- 
barities which they exhibit as practised on the van- 
quished, but remarkable for the spirit and freedom 
with which they are executed. They stamp the 
temple of Medinet Abou as being among the most 
ancient Egyptian monuments, and as having been 
constructed while Egypt was still a warlike and 
conquering nation. When she became a Greek or 
Roman province, the sculptor had no longer this 
animating field for the exercise of his genius ; and 
we accordingly find it cramped and stiffened in the 



184 



later edifices, by being confined to the monotonous 
repetition of priests, sacrifices, religious pageants, 
" Omnigenumque Deum monstra." 

From Medinet Abou we kept along the plain in 
a northern direction, and soon arrived at the two 
colossal figures which now sit solitary at the edge of 
the desert, but which once probably formed the head 
of an avenue of statues conducting to a vast build- 
ing long since totally destroyed. The foundations 
of it were excavated by Belzoni ; and it has been 
thought, not perhaps without reason, to have been 
the famous Memnonium, the ancient description of 
which cannot be satisfactorily applied to any of the 
buildings now in existence. The northernmost of 
these colossal figures was the vocal statue of Mem- 
non, the object of so much learned discussion. 
From the accounts of the ancient writers, and from 
the number of inscriptions on the statue recording 
the names of the persons who had heard the " ma- 
gical sounds," their existence may be pronounced 
to be as well attested as any historical fact can be. 
How they were produced is still undecided; but the 
most probable supposition refers them to the in- 
fluence of the sun causing some expansion or 
contraction in the stone of which the statue is 
composed. Some modern travellers, I believe, as- 
sert that they have actually heard them ; and Mr. 
Salt told me that he was once surprised by a similar 
effect among the ruins of Denderah. 

Still pursuing a northern course along the plain, 



185 



we arrived at the ruins which the French called the 
Memnonium, and which are still known generally 
by that name. They are among the most beautiful 
at Thebes, and their effect is the finer from their 
being unencumbered with huts or rubbish. Thirty- 
five larger and eleven smaller columns are still 
standing, and eight figures resembling caryatids 
support a part of the walls of the portico, which 
are covered with bas-reliefs of battles and sieges, 
like those at Medinet Abou, and possessing equal 
merit in the execution. It was from this temple 
that the colossal head now in the British Museum 
was taken, and in front of it there is a statue of 
red granite of still more enormous proportions, but 
prostrate and broken. 

A short ride took us from hence back to Gour- 
nou, and we returned to our boats fatigued with 
twelve hours' exertion under a scorching sun, and 
almost overpowered with the variety and grandeur 
of the objects which we had visited. At night we 
crossed over to Luxor, a large village about a mile 
and a half higher up the river, and near the southern 
extremity of eastern Thebes. The magnificent tem- 
ple there is so encumbered with modern buildings 
that it is difficult to make out its plan: but it seems 
to have comprised several courts, surrounded by 
colonnades. Fourteen lofty columns with lotus- 
shaped capitals still remain, and about ninety smaller 
ones. There is a profusion of historical bas-reliefs 
on the walls of the propylon, and in front of it are 



186 



two colossal granite figures, now buried nearly up 
to the neck, and two obelisks of the same material, 
the finest probably in existence. They are nearly 
ninety feet high, and the figures on them are beau- 
tifully cut, and in perfect preservation. 

To the northward of Luxor is the village of 
Carnak, supposed to represent that division of an- 
cient Thebes which was called Diospolis. The 
great temple there, as its name implies, was dedi- 
cated to Jupiter Ammon, and the Egyptians seem 
to have called forth all the resources of wealth and 
all the efforts of art to make it worthy of their su- 
preme divinity. A double range of colossal sphinxes 
extended across the plain from the temple of Luxor, 
a distance of more than a mile, and terminated in 
a most magnificent gateway fifty feet high, which 
still remains unimpaired. From this gateway the 
great temple was approached by a large court di- 
vided by an avenue of fifty lofty columns, one of 
which only now remains, leading to a vast propylon 
in front of the portico. The interior of the portico 
presents a coup oVozil which is generally acknow- 
ledged to be superior in effect to any other that is 
to be found among the remains of Egyptian archi- 
tecture. Twelve columns sixty feet high and of a 
beautiful order, form an avenue through the centre 
of the building, like the nave of a Gothic cathedral, 
and they are flanked on each side by sixty smaller 
ones, ranged in six rows, which are seen through 
their intervals in endlesss perspective. The walls 



187 



are covered with bas-reliefs of a similar character 
with those in the other ancient temples, in all of 
which a great resemblance may be observed in the 
countenance of the principal hero, whether we sup- 
pose him to be Osymandyas, or Memnon, or Se- 
sostris. 

In an open space beyond the portico there were 
four obelisk s, two only of which are now standing ; 
and beyond these again was the adytum or sanc- 
tuary, consisting of three small chambers, all built 
with granite. The walls are covered with the usual 
religious or mystical representations, among which 
the boat said to have been dedicated by Sesostris 
to the Theban Jupiter is seen borne on the shoulders 
of the priests. 

Besides the large temple, the sacred precinct 
which surrounded it comprised several smaller ones, 
with various galleries and porticos connecting them 
together; and the area is covered with prostrate co- 
lumns, statues, caryatids, sphinxes, and vast masses 
of hewn stown piled one upon another, and giving 
an idea of the original magnitude and splendour of 
the buildings which no description can adequately 
convey # . 

29th. — About ten miles to the southward of 

* Descriptions of ancient buildings are to the generality of 
readers most uninteresting, and I have therefore passed them over 
as slightly as I could. Ample details of all the Egyptian temples 
may be found in Mr. Hamilton's learned and accurate work, which, 
at the distance of twenty years from its publication, is still the 
best manual for a voyage on the Nile. 



188 



Thebes are the ruins of the ancient Hermenthis, 
and the remains of a very beautiful temple dedicated 
to Typhon the evil genius of the Egyptian my- 
thology. 

March 1st. — We arrived at Esneh, the ancient 
Latopolis, where there is a large and handsome 
temple, remarkable for a very curious and elaborate 
zodiac on the ceiling of the portico. The columns 
are buried in rubbish to half their height, and the 
adytum is quite inaccessible from the same cause. 

Opposite to Esneh., on the eastern bank of the 
river, the small temple of Contra Laton remains, in 
very good preservation. 

Esneh being the last considerable town that we 
should pass in our voyage up the Nile, it was ne- 
cessary to provide there some supplies for our pro- 
jected excursion into Nubia. We accordingly went 
to the governor, and on showing him our teschere 
he immediately gave us an order to take whatever 
flour we wanted from the pasha's magazines. This, 
however, we found of little avail till we had gained 
the favour of the storekeeper by a handsome bac- 
sheesh; and the delays which he had previously 
thrown in the way, joined to the slow process of 
baking the flour into biscuits, detained us for the 
greater part of two days. 

4th. — We visited Edfu, the ancient Apollinopolis, 
a large village situated on a low level plain at the 
distance of more than a mile from the river. It 
has two temples, the largest of which, though much 



189 



encumbered by the accumulation of the soil, is com- 
plete in all its parts, and the most perfect model 
now remaining of the sacred edifices of the Egyp- 
tians. In front is a propylon upwards of a hundred 
feet high, ornamented with bas-reliefs of gigantic 
proportions. It forms one side of a court, or Pro- 
naos as it is called, and is connected on each flank 
to the portico of the temple by a covered colonnade, 
now choked up with rubbish almost to the level of 
the capitals, so as but just to leave room for the 
miserable peasants to creep into the dens which 
they have made there. The portico is supported 
by eighteen columns, arranged in three rows ; the 
roof is covered with mud-built huts, and the sanc- 
tuary, nearly filled with the ruins of similar frail 
habitations, is tenanted by bats only. The stairs 
in the interior of the propylon still remain entire, 
and conduct by an easy ascent to a number of small 
chambers, and to a terrace on the top, from whence 
there is an extensive view over the plain. 

6th. — We passed the Gebal Silsilih, or ec chained 
mountains," where the rocks rise perpendicularly 
from the water's edge, and are reported to have 
been once connected by an iron chain, to intercept 
the navigation in case of an invasion from the upper 
country. They are cut out on each side into archi- 
tectural facades, which open into excavated tombs, 
temples, and quarries. From the vast extent of the 
latter, and from the facility of water-carriage which 
the situation affords, it is supposed that the greater 



190 



part of the materials employed in the Egyptian 
temples were taken from this spot. 

We sailed by moonlight under the ruins of the 
temple of Coum Ombos, which still retains its an- 
cient name., though the crocodile is no longer wor- 
shipped there. It is a Ptolemaic structure, and 
unlike most of the Egyptian temples, which are 
situated on the plains, it stands on the brow of a 
bold hill, and is a very fine object both in ascending 
and descending the river. 

7th. — At night we reached Assouan, the ancient 
Syene, and the frontier town of Egypt. The next 
morning the Reis told me with great apparent con- 
cern, that the water was now so low that it would 
be impossible for the cangia to pass up the Cata- 
racts, but that if I persisted in my intention of going 
into Nubia he would wait here for my return. I 
was rather disconcerted at this information ; but as 
several of the inhabitants of the place whom I con- 
sulted, and among others the officer called the Reis 
el Shelal, or " commander of the Cataracts/' agreed 
in the same story, I acceded to the proposal, and 
determined to pursue my journey by land. I found 
out afterwards, however, that the whole was a trick 
concerted by my Reis, who did not like the voyage 
into the upper country; and that if, instead of agree- 
ing to retain him at Assouan, I had offered to pay 
him off and dismiss him immediatelv, it would soon 
have been discovered that the Cataracts were not 
impassable. 



191 



My dragoman also declined accompanying me 
anv further, on the plea of ill health : though cow- 
ardice was I believe the real motive. Pearce, whose 
enterprising spirit was delighted with the thoughts 
of a journey into Ethiopia, offered to take his place ; 
and I gladly accepted his services, having had many 
opportunities during our voyage of learning their 
value. 

I had to regret the loss of Mr. Jowett's company, 
as he determined to wait Mr. Salts return from 
Nubia, thinking that the objects of his mission would 
not be promoted by advancing further into the 
country. His success hitherto had been very limited, 
although here and there the native Christians had 
shown a disposition to purchase bibles. The banks 
of the Nile indeed do not seem to offer a very pro- 
mising field for missionary labours. A pure and 
rational religion can scarcely be expected to make 
much progress among an oppressed and degraded 
people ; but, like other benefits, must follow in the 
train of freedom, civilization, and good government. 
The Egyptians too in all ages appear to have been 
remarkably prone to superstition ; and if, as we are 
told, the early converts to Christianity still retained 
many of their heathen observances, it is scarcely 
to be expected that their descendants in these later 
days should be persuaded to renounce their saints 
and their Panagia * ; — while the Musulman on the 
other hand, contented with a few simple precepts 
* The Virgin Mary. 



192 

and prohibitions, will hardly be disposed to adopt 
what to him will appear a more complicated creed. 
In spite of these unfavourable circumstances, how- 
ever, some good may perhaps be done. I should 
be sorry to join in a vulgar outcry against any class 
of persons who have the improvement of mankind 
for their object, still less would I quarrel with a 
Society to which I am indebted for two very agree- 
able travelling companions *. 

* The Rev. Mr. Jowett, author of " Christian Researches/' and 
the Rev. Mr. Connor ; both agents to the Church Missionary 
Society. 



193 



CHAPTER VII. 

NUBrA. PHIL^E. 

The only conveyances that Assouan could afford 
were asses and camels. We preferred the latter : 
and I found that the accounts I had heard of the 
roughness of their pace were much exaggerated ; 
though I must admit that when they stoop or 
rise^ at mounting or dismounting, the motion is 
very disagreeable. Four camels were sufficient for 
ourselves and baggage ; and we were attended by 
three drivers and by an Arab boy, an arch mis- 
chievous-looking urchin,, who offered his services 
as a volunteer. A traveller in these countries will 
find the number of his suite increase daily; and, as 
elsewhere, the labour is in an inverse ratio to the 
pay, almost all the work being done by those who 
receive nothing. If you are pleased with the acti- 
vity of any supernumerary, and order him the small- 
est stipend, — a few paras a day for example, — he 
immediately becomes idle, and at the next village 
engages a volunteer to serve under him, who hopes 
in his turn to obtain a similar promotion. 

March 9th. — On leaving Assouan we kept on 
the eastern bank of the river ; and after descending 
from the low range of hills which stretch out on 
the southern side of the town, we passed a narrow 

o 



194 



sandy valley, and from the summit of another range 
of hills beyond it we had a delightful view of the 
vale of Nubia, the windings of the river, and the 
little temple of Debode on the opposite shore. 
We slept on the sand near the river, under the 
shelter of some high Dourra, or Indian corn. 

10th. — We saw on the other side of the river 
the little temple of Tafa, and passed the islands 
and cataracts of Kalapshe, where the scenery is 
more bold, sequestered and romantic, than any I 
had yet seen on the Nile. In the afternoon we 
arrived opposite the temple of Kalapshe^ and saw 
some tents pitched near it, which we concluded to 
belong to the consul. We fired our pistols as a 
signal, and a boat soon arrived, in which I crossed 
over, accompanied by Pearce, leaving the servants 
in charge of the camels and baggage. Mr. Salt, 
though labouring under severe indisposition, re- 
ceived me with great politeness ; and in the course 
of the evening's conversation communicated to me 
many interesting details of his voyage, and much 
useful information as to the different objects of 
curiosity which I was going to visit. 

12th. — In the middle of the day we re-crossed 
the river, and resumed our journey. Towards the 
evening we passed the first Nubian village we had 
seen. It differed in appearance from the Egyptian 
villages, as the houses instead of mud were built 
with small rough stones, and were something in the 
shape of bee-hives. We travelled till after midnight, 



195 



and then reposed for a few hours under some trees 
by the river side. 

13th. — In this day's journey we observed some 
large tracts of ground, which bore marks of having 
been very lately under cultivation ; but which were 
now lying fallow, and fast relapsing into their na- 
tive sand. The increased and oppressive imposts 
since the country has been occupied by the Turks, 
were assigned as the cause of this desertion. The 
practice of irrigation being universal, and indeed 
necessary to make the sandy soil at all productive, 
each farm is provided with a large water-wheel, 
called a Sakiah, which is worked by small cows or 
oxen, and serves to raise the water from the Nile. 
Of these there are reckoned eight hundred between 
Philse and Wadi Elfi, and each pays a dollar a 
year to the government ; a very impolitic mode of 
raising the revenue, as it must operate as a direct 
check on cultivation. It is not supposed, however, 
that the pasha derives more from this province than 
is sufficient to pay the stipends of the native chiefs 
and the expenses of the troops he is obliged to 
keep there. The military occupation of the country 
is his principal object. 

We halted in the middle of the day near a village, 
and a great number of the natives soon collected 
round us. They are of a very dark copper colour, 
nearly approaching to black, with lively intelligent 
features, and forms of a symmetry and lightness 
which I have rarely seen surpassed. Many of them 

o 2 



196 



had only a short petticoat like the American In- 
dians ; some were dressed in coarse brown linen 
shirts fastened round the waist ; and some of the 
elder had a Mashlakh, or Arab cloak, thrown round 
them. Almost all of them had a short and broad 
sword attached to their left arm, a round shield 
made of the skin of the hippopotamus, and a long 
spear. Their hair inclines to woolliness, and is plait- 
ed in close twists or ringlets, which hanging down 
from the top of the head, and being cut off square 
just below the ears, very much resemble the coiffure 
of the sphinx, and of some of the figures in the 
tombs at Thebes. Their locks are strongly im- 
pregnated with grease ; and one very handsome 
young man had added a large quantity of flour by 
way of powder, which, contrasted with the black 
hue of his skin, produced so grotesque an effect, 
that even his own countrymen could not forbear 
joining in the hearty laugh which we found it im- 
possible to restrain when he presented himself. 
The women were unveiled, and appeared much less 
shy towards strangers than their Egyptian neigh- 
bours ; but their manners, it is said, are not on that 
account the less correct. They are not indeed very 
inviting objects, but, like the females of most hot 
countries, are much inferior to the men in personal 
appearance. The people were universally civil and 
friendly, and brought us various excellent prepa- 
rations of milk as presents, and some lambs and 
fowls for sale. The prices asked for these, however, 



19/ 



were so much higher than we had been accustomed 
to in Egypt, that we refused to buy them ; but we 
were afterwards obliged to pay dearer. We had 
some difficulty in talking with the natives; the 
Berberin language, which they all speak, being to- 
tally different from the Arabic, and none of our 
party understanding it thoroughly. 

In the course of the day we met a courier going 
from Deir to Assouan. He was a very . striking 
figure, being dressed in the full costume of his 
country, which I have already described, and mount- 
ed on a Hadjeen camel, which came striding ra- 
pidly along. His saddle was made of wood and 
very small, and it had a forked pommel in front, so 
contrived that he might rest his legs in it alternately. 
We met also several small caravans of slaves from 
the interior of Africa. 

14th. — We were now arrived at a great bend in 
the river, which, turning to the eastward above Deir, 
takes afterwards a southerly direction, and at this 
spot resumes its natural course to the north. The 
character of the country here entirely alters ; a chain 
of mountains coming close to the waters edge, so 
as to prevent any passage along the shore. 

This morning we were annoyed by a violent north 
wind, which brought with it such a cloud of dust 
that the horizon was quite obscured. We began 
indeed to be heartily tired of the mode of travelling 
we had adopted. Nature intended the camel for 
the plain ; and in rough and hilly tracts such as we 



198 



were now compelled to pass over, he slides and 
stumbles so continually, that a rider even of the 
strongest nerves can scarcely be without alarm. In 
the course of the day we came to a defile between 
the rocks which was too narrow to allow the bag- 
gage to pass ; and before the animal which carried 
it could be stopped, it was all hurled to the ground, 
together with the servant who was seated on the 
top of it. The man fortunately escaped with only 
a few bruises ; but our apparatus was grievously de- 
ranged by the breaking of cords, straps, and baskets. 
As we had travelled too by forced marches, halting 
only for a few hours at midnight and in the great 
heat of the day, it may be supposed that our half- 
starved camels were nearly exhausted, and the naked 
feet of our attendants not a little sore. The poor 
fellows, however, kept on with much cheerfulness 
and alacrity ; but they told us to-day that they did 
not think their beasts would be able to carry us 
beyond Deir, where the roads would become more 
rugged than they had yet been. They begged us 
therefore to let them off their bargain, and to hire 
a boat at Deir to pursue our expedition by water. 
We were very well disposed to accede to their re- 
quest, our impatience to reach the second Cataracts 
being in some degree abated by the fatigue and 
inconvenience we had undergone. 

It took us three hours to cross the mountain. 
The view from the summit is very fine, command- 
ing a magnificent sweep of the river, with a rich 



199 



plain covered with groves of palm-trees, interspersed 
with the mud cottages of the village of Croosco on 
one side, and the temple of Amada standing on a 
sandy promontory on the other. The storm hav- 
ing abated, the sun shone out in great splendour, 
and gave us a full opportunity of enjoying this 
cheerful prospect as we slowly descended the west- 
ern side of the mountain. We halted at mid-day 
at the village, and refreshed ourselves with some 
water-melons which we found growing wild in the 
sand, and some milk which the inhabitants brought 
to us. In the afternoon we resumed our journey. 
Our route lay through the grove of palm-trees 
which we had seen from the mountain ; and about 
sunset we reached the outskirts of Deir, the capital 
of Nubia, a town so long and straggling that it 
was not till two hours afterwards that we arrived 
at the principal square or market-place. The po- 
pulation appeared very considerable ; and in addition 
to the natives, the place was now occupied by a 
very numerous party of negro pilgrims from Sen- 
naar, some of whom were sitting in groups, and 
others sleeping under the walls of the cottages. 
These people are quite black, tall, but very slightly 
made, and exceedingly meagre : they are a very in- 
offensive race, and have a simple and natural polite- 
ness in their manners. Their dress was merely a 
coarse shirt tied round their middle with a girdle, 
and their whole baggage consisted of a drinking- 
cup made of a small gourd. They depend for sup- 



200 



port almost entirely on the charity of the inhabi- 
tants of the countries through which they pass, 
and of the strangers whom they may chance to 
meet on their road: and the object of their journey, 
as well as their own good character, procures them 
so much respect, that these resources seldom fail 
them. Their pilgrimage consumes from three to 
four years : but the toils of those who survive to 
return to their native country, are repaid by the re- 
putation of sanctity which they enjoy during the 
remainder of their lives. 

About nine o'clock we arrived at the grand square, 
in the centre of which is an immense sycamore, 
under whose shade the chiefs of the tribe meet to 
deliberate on their affairs and administer justice to 
the people. It was too late to seek for a lodging, 
so we determined to bivouac for the night by the 
side of a large building which occupied one side of 
the square. We had scarcely unloaded our camels 
and spread our mats, when we received a visit from 
Hassan CachefF, the governor of the place. This 
man was the son of a native chief, who had him- 
self retired into the country above the Cataracts 
when his Nubian dominions were occupied by the 
troops of Mohammed Ali. The son made terms 
with the invaders, was invested with his father's 
dignities, and received, in the shape of a pension 
from the governor of Egypt, a part of his heredi- 
tary revenues. He inquired who we were^ and what 
was the object of our journey, but did not give us 



201 



any invitation to his house. Soon after his de- 
parture, however, he sent us a supper consisting 
of a dish of rice, and stewed mutton. 

15th. — The wind during the night rose into an 
absolute hurricane, so as almost to prevent us from 
having any sleep ; and in the morning we found 
ourselves covered with drifted sand, which had in- 
sinuated itself through our clothes, and made us 
very uncomfortable. We went soon after sunrise 
to return the cachefFs visit, and found him in his 
divan surrounded by some of the principal inhabi- 
tants, — a swarthy, forbidding, ill-looking set. They 
bear but little resemblance to the other Nubian 
tribes, and are supposed to be descended from a co- 
lony of Turks, planted here at the first conquest of 
the country by Sultan Selim. Their dress consisted 
of a coarse white shirt, and one of blue over it ; a 
mashlakh thrown over their shoulders, and a large 
red turban on the head. The cachefF was distin- 
guished by one of fine white muslin, which he took 
care to tell us had been given him by the English 
consul, — a piece of information which he intended 
as a hint to arouse our dormant liberality. He re- 
ceived us on the whole in a very distant and haughty 
manner ; but on our return to our quarters in the 
market-place, sent us another dish of rice and 
mutton. 

Not being much satisfied with his behaviour, 
which gave us little hope that he would assist us in 
procuring a boat, or in any other object we had in 



202 



view., we determined to apply to the Turkish officer 
who commanded the little garrison stationed here. 
We went to his house, and found him sitting with 
some of his men in an open gallery which over- 
looked the river. He was an Albanian, and had not 
the smooth manners of the thorough-bred Turk ; 
but he received us with civility, and told us we were 
welcome to take up our quarters in his barrack, 
which consisted of one large room opening out of 
the gallery where we had found him. He promised 
also to provide us with a boat for our voyage to 
Wadi Elfi, and said that he would have sent us in 
his own cangia, but that it was already gone up 
the river with a detachment of his men to collect 
the tribute. We had some difficulty in keeping up 
the conversation with him, as he spoke only Turkish 
and Greek, while Pearce knew nothing of either 
language, and I only a few sentences of the latter. 
On our telling him, however, of the cool reception 
we had met with from the cacheff, he said that he 
was a " Kuzog avOgoonog* " and that the inhabitants 
were all " jtkztprcci^" by which I supposed him to 
mean, that they did all they could to cheat the re- 
venue of which he was the collector. We conveyed 
our baggage to the barracks, and at sunset sat down 
to a very good supper, of pillafF and other dishes. 
The party consisted of the Aga and five other Alba- 
nians, Pearce, and myself. All subordination and 
difference of rank between officers and men seemed 
* A bad man. f Thieves. 



203 



to be forgotten as soon as they sat down to eat ; 
and after supper they became very merry, and in- 
dulged in various practical jokes. One of them, who 
came in after our arrival, understood Arabic tole- 
rably well ; so that Pearce being able to translate my 
English into that language, which the Albanian ren- 
dered into Greek for the Aga, we managed to keep 
up a conversation during the evening. About mid- 
night the soldiers withdrew ; Pearce and myself oc- 
cupied a divan at one end of the room, and the Aga 
slept at the other end, w r ith a little black slave-boy 

at his feet. 
♦ 

16th. — Early in the morning I visited a small 
temple excavated in the rocks at the back of the 
town. It is supposed to be of great antiquity ; but 
though it has suffered much from the effects of time, 
several groups of figures and processions, and some 
hieroglyphics., remain in tolerable preservation. It 
consists of two chambers, one within the other ; the 
outer one supported by twelve, and the inner by six 
square piers or columns. 

We thought it prudent to conciliate the Aga 
by presenting him with a canister of fine English 
powder and some squares of soap, both of which 
articles are very much in request: and he soon after 
sent for the proprietor of a little boat, which was 
moored close under the windows, and had not a 
very promising appearance. Finding however, after 
some conversation, that no other was to be pro- 
cured, we agreed for a moderate sum with the reis 



204 



to take us to the Upper Cataract, and if we were 
unable to penetrate further, to convey us back to 
Philse. As soon as we had concluded the agree- 
ment we dismissed our camel-drivers, and gave them 
a letter to the Aga at Assouan, expressing our satis- 
faction at their behaviour, and our reasons for send- 
ing them back. This letter, they told us, was ne- 
cessary for them, as they durst not return without 
being able to give an account of the Franks who 
had been committed to their charge. 

This morning the divan was filled with country- 
people coming to pay their tribute ; and those whose 
experience of such a scene is confined to an En- 
glish rent-day or tithe-feast, can form no notion 
of the noise, disputes, and gesticulation which we 
witnessed. The Aga, who understood little of what 
was said, conducted himself with complete Turkish 
sang froid ; and in spite of the arguments and vo- 
ciferation of the natives, I observed that he almost 
always succeeded in obtaining his full demand. 

In the meantime the boat, a small, miserable, 
crazy machine, had been prepared for our reception. 
Over the stern was placed an awning composed of 
hoops of wood covered with straw and palm-leaves, 
under which there was just room to spread out a 
mat, which was to serve for sofa and for bed. The 
crew consisted of the owner and two boys. For 
provisions, we had the remainder of the stock of 
biscuits which we had procured at Esneh, a large 
supply of dried dates, and some flour which by the 



205 



Aga's interference we obtained, though not without 
difficulty, from the cacheff's magazines. Of some 
English porter which we put into our provision 
baskets at Assouan, several bottles had exploded 
from the heat in our first day's journey; and we had 
forthwith dispatched the remainder, to prevent a 
similar catastrophe. The bottles we now filled with 
date wine, a luscious and rather sickly liquor, which, 
however, the warmth of the climate and the want 
of any thing better soon rendered palatable. 

About noon we embarked and set sail. The even- 
ing was very fine : and after the fatigues of our jour- 
ney by land, we enjoyed the repose of our present 
situation, although the accommodations which our 
boat afforded were of the humblest kind. Instead 
of being shaken by the rough motion of the camels, 
and exposed to the intense heat of the sun, we now 
stretched ourselves listlessly under our leafy canopy, 
lulled by the creaking sound of the water-wheels, 
which has a great resemblance to the humming of 
bees. 

17th. — About the middle of the day we arrived 
at Ibrim, supposed to be the ancient Primis, which 
stands on the crown of a precipitous cliff. The 
access to it from the water is difficult, and it is now 
merely a heap of ruins, having been deserted by 
the inhabitants, when the Mamalukes retreated 
through the country in their way to Dongola. We 
observed some remains of an Egyptian temple and 
a Mahometan mosque, and a quantity of capitals 



206 



and other fragments of Roman architecture are scat- 
tered about. The view from Ibrim is extremely 
desolate, the sand coming close to the banks on both 
sides of the river. 

18th. — The winds continued so light that we 
made scarcely any progress against the current. 
One of the boys having gone into the water to push 
off from a sand bank, as he was in the act of step- 
ping back into the boat a small crocodile darted 
upon him, and made a snap at his leg. Fortunately 
the reis was standing at the side of the boat with a 
pole in his hand, with which he struck a blow at 
the head of the animal ; and the boy, though ter- 
ribly frightened, had time to make his escape. 

19th. — Our progress was slower than ever; and 
our patience was almost exhausted, when an eight- 
oared cangia came in sight, and soon overtook us. 
It belonged to Captain Foskett ; and I found to my 
great mortification that he had passed the Cataracts 
four days after I had been told that the attempt 
would be fruitless. He kindly offered to take my 
boat in tow, and in the evening we arrived at Ip- 
sambul. 

To those who are at all acquainted with Egyptian 
antiquities, or who have attended to the brilliant 
discoveries made of late years in that country and 
in Nubia ; the temples of Ipsambul, — the last and 
most magnificent objects of a voyage up the Nile, — 
must be familiar in description, though no descrip- 
tion can convey an adequate idea of their grandeur. 



20/ 



iYbove Ibrim the shores of the river were tame and 
level; till at length we arrived in sight of a high 
range of sandy cliffs, which appeared to be placed 
directly across our course and to intercept our 
further progress. On reaching them, however, the 
river took a sudden bend, and a most striking scene 
opened upon us. Immediately above us, on the right, 
was an excavated temple, with six gigantic figures 
of Isis supporting the roof; and in front, the great 
temple presented itself with its four colossal statues, 
occupying entirely the face of a lofty perpendicular 
cliff. These figures are in a sitting attitude., sixty 
feet high 5 and almost detached from the rock, being 
connected with it only by a narrow rib. They are 
undoubtedly superior to any other work of Egyptian 
sculpture ; and allowing for the peculiarity of feature 
which distinguishes all the productions of that 
school, they may be pronounced to be among the 
most beautiful specimens of ancient art. The coun- 
tenances have a sweetness and serenity of expres- 
sion quite unrivalled. The sand drifting down over 
the top of the rocks had formed a sloping bank, 
and covered the figures more or less in proportion 
to their distance from the river. Of the furthest 
the head alone was visible,, while the nearest was 
buried only up to the knees. In the centre of the 
facade is a statue of the hawk-headed Osiris, placed 
in a niche ; and immediately under it is the door, 
which is twenty feet high, but so choked up as 
scarcely to leave room for entrance. Only one per- 



208 



son could go in at a time, and he was obliged to 
lie down and permit himself to be carried on by the 
rolling motion of the sand. 

If the exterior of the temple can scarce fail to 
impress us with the highest admiration for the ge- 
nius of the ancient Egyptians, its interior seems 
almost to realize the description of some palace of 
the genii in Eastern fable. On entering the first 
chamber, which is sixty feet long and fifty feet 
wide, eight colossal figures of Osiris which support 
the roof, each armed with his sceptre and scourge, 
seem to frown upon the daring stranger who ven- 
tures to break in upon their repose. Behind these 
figures, which are arranged in two rows extending 
from the entrance to the door of the second chamber, 
the wall on one side is covered with a vast painting 
representing the siege of a city, in which is intro- 
duced a confused assemblage of battles, encamp- 
ments, and processions. On the other, a hero, 
mounted on a chariot, drives before him a group 
of prisoners : the victor in a single combat strikes 
his spear into the vanquished who has fallen at his 
feet : an Ethiopian warrior stands in a tower, and 
defends himself against an Egyptian who attacks 
him from a chariot : and a gigantic figure holds 
eleven victims by the hair of their heads in his left 
hand, and with the right brandishes his sword, and 
prepares to cut them off at a blow. All these pic- 
tures, though they have not retained their colouring 
so well as those in the tomb of Psammis, yet are 



209 



designed with greater truth and energy than any 
other specimens of Egyptian art which have yet 
been found. On the walls of the second chamber 
are some curious allegorical figures emblematic of 
the productive powers of Nature, and in the inner- 
most chamber or sanctuary are four statues, pro- 
bably the presiding deities of the temple. They 
are sitting in a row, with their backs to the wall, 
facing the entrance of the chamber, and are of dif- 
ferent dimensions, the tallest being about eight feet 
high. One of them represents the hawk -headed 
Osiris : the other three have human forms ; one of 
them wears the double mitre, the other a smaller 
cap, and the third has the head uncovered. In front 
of them is a square stone, which probably served 
for the altar. The entire exclusion of the outward 
air, and the number of candles and torches which 
we were obliged to burn to give full effect to apart- 
ments so spacious and lofty, and pictures on so 
large a scale, produced a degree of heat which it 
was impossible to support for long, even in the 
thinnest clothing. We never remained in the tem- 
ple more than three quarters of an hour at a time, 
and then both ourselves and the boatmen who car- 
ried the torches were completely exhausted. 

The smaller temple of Ipsambul is on the same 
side of the river as the larger one, from which it is 
separated by a ravine or narrow valley nearly filled 
with sand. The rock is excavated into six deep 
niches, which are occupied by as many statues, be- 

p ✓ 



210 



tween twenty and thirty feet high. One female and 
two male figures are on each side the entrance, and 
between each is a smaller statue reaching about to 
the knee of the larger ones. They represent Isis, 
Osiris, and Horus, the temple having been pro- 
bably dedicated to the goddess. The figures have 
great boldness of attitude, but less beauty of coun- 
tenance than those of the larger temple. 

The excavations at Ipsambul, in addition to their 
extraordinary merit as works of art, may be con- 
sidered as perhaps of more undoubted antiquity 
than any yet discovered on the Nile. If the in- 
scription observed by Mr. William Bankes on the 
leg of one of the colossi be admitted as evidence, 
it would prove that they were in existence in the 
reign of Psammetichus ; but even without that they 
cannot be suspected of Ptolemaic or Roman origin, 
and must remain perpetual monuments of the early 
excellence at which the art of sculpture arrived in 
Ethiopia. The discovery of the temple is due to 
Shekh Ibrahim. It was excavated and opened to 
view by the enterprise and perseverance of Belzoni, 
who has given a very interesting account of the pro- 
gress of his arduous task # . The comparatively 
perfect state in which it remains, is owing to the 

* He had the advantage of being ably assisted by Captain 
Mangles and Captain Irby of the navy ; * and these gentlemen also 
have given an account of the labour, privations,, and disappoint- 
ments which the whole party underwent before they accomplished 
their object. — See their unpublished work. 



211 



sand of the desert, which concealed it for ages, and 
prevented it from becoming the haunt of the bar- 
barous natives, or from being defaced by more bar- 
barous invaders. Probably before this time it is 
again safe under the same protection. 

21st. — The shores above Ipsambul are flat, and 
the river widens considerably. About three o'clock 
we came to an anchor near Wadi Elfi, and found 
there a little flotilla of boats belonging to Mr. 
Bankes, Mr. Beechey, and Mr. Hyde, who had just 
returned from an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate 
into the country above the second Cataract. I 
passed a very pleasant evening in company with 
these gentlemen, and learned the particulars of their 
adventure, which at first promised a successful re- 
sult. It failed ultimately, however, in consequence 
of their camels having been driven away or stolen 
by the drivers, at the instigation probably of their 
own servants, who did not relish the fatigue and 
danger of the journey. This failure caused me to 
lay aside all intention of making a similar attempt. 
The jealousy of the inhabitants of the upper country 
would probably have proved an effectual bar, except 
to those who, like some subsequent travellers *, went 
in the train of an army, or were protected by a 
powerful escort. 

22nd. — Early in the morning Captain Foskett's 
interpreter, a Greek of Latakia, who had assumed 
the Albanian dress and the Turkish name of Ibra- 
* Mr. Waddington and Mr. Hanbury. 
p 2 



212 



him, was dispatehed to the village in search of provi- 
sions. On his way his attention was directed to a 
calf which was grazing in the fields, and thinking 
that some veal would be an agreeable variety at our 
table, which of late had been supplied with mutton 
only, he endeavoured to treat with the owner for 
the purchase of it. The man, however, not being 
disposed to sell, Ibrahim, thinking that with the 
name and dress he might use too the license of a 
Turk, drove the calf towards the boats in spite of 
his remonstrances, and happening to fall in with 
a Nubian girl who was at work in the fields, he 
proceeded to carry her off also. Enraged at this 
double abduction, the peasant gave the alarm, and 
a party of the natives presently rushed down to 
the spot, brandishing their spears and threatening 
violence. Ibrahim, finding they pressed more closely 
upon him than was agreeable, and knowing their dis- 
like to fire-arms, discharged his pistols over their 
heads, as a hint to them to keep their distance. 
They were too numerous, however, to be thus inti- 
midated, and it might have gone hard with him, had 
not the report of the shots fortunately been heard 
at the boats. Pearce hastened to see what was the 
matter, and found Ibrahim surrounded by forty or 
fifty armed Berberins, but still undaunted, holding 
his drawn sword between his teeth and reloading 
his pistols. The natives, awed by his coolness, and 
still more perhaps by their supposing him a Turk, 
did not offer to attack him, but contented them- 



213 



selves with threats and abuse ; and Pearce, though 
with some difficulty, succeeded in rescuing- him 
from the tumult. They retired amid a shower of 
stones, and Ibrahim was compelled to resign both 
his prizes ; one of them was, I have no doubt, very- 
glad of the reprieve, but I am not sure that I can 
say so much for the other. 

After this affray was over, we sailed about two 
miles higher up the river, and landed on the western 
side. We then walked along the sand for some 
distance, till we arrived at a steep rock which over- 
hangs the Cataracts, and which is nearly covered 
with inscriptions commemorating the visits of va- 
rious recent travellers. Lord Belmore's party had 
left a more useful memorial, the latitude of the 
place taken from their own observations, and which 
they made 21° 57' or 1° 33' within the tropic. From 
the summit of the rock there is a fine view of the 
Cataracts, or rapids, as they might more properly 
be called, the fall not being in any place very con- 
siderable, and being occasioned only by the nume- 
rous islands and masses of rock which interrupt 
the course of the river for nearly seven miles, and 
divide it into the Wadi Elfi (or "thousand streams)," 
which have given a name to the neighbouring vil- 
lage and district. The scenery of the Cataracts is 
pretty. The deep black colour of the rocks, and 
the vivid green of the islands, which the dashing 
spray keeps in constant vegetation, afford an agree- 



214 



able relief to the eye amid the barren desert which 
stretches round on every side. It was about three 
o'clock when we returned ; and the sand had been 
so heated by the full sun, that it absolutely scorched 
our feet through the thin slippers which we wore : 
it is beautifully fine, and sparkles like crystal : its 
surface is thickly scattered with large stones of a 
dark colour, and apparently of volcanic origin. 
The only animals that we saw were a few gazelles, 
which were very shy, and would not allow us to ap- 
proach them. 

23rd. — This morning an Arab of the Ababde 
tribe, who occupy the desert east of the Nile, 
brought for sale a very fine hadgeen, or dromedary 
(as we should call it), which is not a distinct 
animal from the camel, but differs from it only 
as the hunter differs from the cart-horse. The had- 
geen is of large size, but very slender proportions. 
His pace is a long high trot of about twelve miles 
an hour, which he seems to accomplish without any 
effort, but which shakes the rider excessively, so as 
to be scarcely bearable by one not accustomed to 
it. He is guided by a rope fastened to a ring passed 
through his nose. 

We left Wadi Elfi in the middle of the day, 
and anchored for the night at Feraz, a fertile and 
well cultivated island in the Nile ; and the next even- 
ing we reached Ipsambul, and paid another visit to 
the temple. During the four days we were absent, 



215 



the sand had so drifted about the doorway, that we 
were obliged to remove some of it before we could 
gain access to the interior. 

25th. — We reluctantly bid adieu to this splendid 
monument, and about dusk arrived at Deir. Not 
thinking it worth while to renew our acquaintance 
either with the Aga or the CachefF, we sent the 
servants into the town to procure what was neces- 
sary, and passed the night in the boat. 

26th. — About noon we landed at the temple of 
Amada, which is well situated on a sandy hill over- 
looking a fine bend of the river, with the village of 
Croosko amid thick groves of palm trees on the 
opposite side, and a range of mountains beyond. 
The temple of Amada is small. It consists of a 
portico supported by twelve columns, some of 
which are polygonal, and within them is a sanctuary. 
Some of the figures on the walls of the latter are 
very fine, and the colours have preserved an unusual 
brilliancy. 

27th.— We landed at Sibouah, where are the re- 
mains of a temple built against the side of a sandy 
hill, at about a hundred yards from the banks of 
the river, from whence it was approached by a low 
flight of steps and an avenue of sphinxes. These 
had not long before been excavated by Mr. Salt, 
but were now again covered with sand, so that but 
a small part of each figure was discernible. At the 
end of each row towards the river is a mutilated 
statue, and in front of the propylon are two colossal 



216 



figures thrown down and defaced. The propylon 
opens into a court surrounded by an inner peristyle, 
but so much choked up with sand, that the en- 
trance to the sanctuary is very difficult. The sanc- 
tuary has been used for Christian worship, and 
there is a head of St. Peter on the wall in fine pre- 
servation. The scenery in the neighbourhood is 
very beautiful ; the rocky hills on the eastern side 
slope gradually down into the vale, which is covered 
with verdure, and the banks of the river are fringed 
with sycamores, acacias, and bushy shrubs. 

From Sibouah, which is supposed to be among 
the most ancient of the Nubian remains, we pro- 
ceeded to Maharraga or Aufidena, the ancient 
Hierosycarninon, which is perhaps the most mo- 
dern. Here are the remains of two temples, neither 
of which appears ever to have been completed. The 
one consists of a portico only, with an inner peri- 
style of sixteen columns with various capitals, none 
of them in good taste. There are no bas-reliefs on 
the walls, but a great number of inscriptions in red 
paint, which the extraordinary mildness of the cli- 
mate has kept in perfect preservation. From them 
it appears to have been dedicated to the god Man- 
douli, the Egyptian Apollo. Of the other temple, 
a part of the walls alone remain, on wdiich is a bas- 
relief of Isis and Horus, so much in the style of 
the low r er ages of the Empire, that it may easily 
be mistaken, as it has been by some travellers, for 
the Virgin and Child. The transition from the one 



217 

to the other in the minds of the ancient Egyptians 
was perhaps equally easy. 

In the afternoon we landed at Dakki. The temple 
here is differently situated from that at Sibouah, 
being placed parallel with instead of facing the river, 
and the approach is from the north. The propylon 
is lofty, and almost covered with the "proscune- 
mata*" of Roman officers, who came from the 
stations at Philse and Elephantine to pay their 
homage to Mercury the tutelary deity. Their dates 
are chiefly in the reigns of Tiberius and Adrian. 
The temple itself, which is united to the propy- 
lon not by a peristyle, as is usually the case,, but 
merely by low walls, appears to have been origi- 
nally very small, and to have been enlarged after- 
wards. It is in very fine preservation; and from 
the elegance of its proportions and its detached and 
solitary situation, is perhaps one of the most strik- 
ing of the Nubian antiquities. In place of the usual 
winged globe over the entrance, is a Greek in- 
scription, in which the name of Ptolemy occurs. 
It is accompanied by a translation in hieroglyphics, 
and afforded one of the earliest keys to the study 
of the sacred writings of the Egyptians, which has 
since been so successfully prosecuted by the literati 
of Europe. 

In the evening we anchored at Girshi-Hassan, 
where there is an excavated temple, somewhat re- 

* Records of the visits and homage paid to the deities of these 
temples. 



218 



sembling in design that of Ipsambul, but very in- 
ferior both in size and in execution. In front it 
has a portico supported by statues. The ante-cham- 
ber is supported by colossi of very clumsy propor- 
tions 3 and in the walls are niches, each occupied by 
a female and two male figures. In the sanctuary 
the four deities are seated, but their faces and dress 
differ from those at Ipsambul. The walls were co- 
vered with paintings, now almost obliterated ; and 
indeed the whole of the temple having been used 
either as a dwelling or place of defence, is in a very 
dilapidated state. 

29th. — Early in the morning we arrived at Den- 
dour, where there is a very small temple with a 
propylon built upon a terrace near the river. The 
portico has only two columns., and the cell is ex- 
cavated in the mountain. 

In the middle of the day we landed at Kalapshe, 
and again visited the temple there. It is one of 
the most modern of Nubia, but it must have been 
also one of the most beautiful and highly orna- 
mented. A lofty propylon opens into a spacious 
court, surrounded by a peristyle. Of this, one co- 
lumn only remains standing : but the numerous 
fragments lying scattered about, show the beauty 
and variety of the workmanship, which departs how- 
ever from the general style of Egyptian architecture, 
some of the capitals being ornamented with volutes 
and bunches of grapes. The portico consists of 
four columns, which are connected together by 



219 



walls or pannels of about one third their height, 
each surmounted by a cornice and by a winged 
globe ; and this peculiarity is said to prove the mo- 
dern date of the work; being never found in the 
more ancient edifices. The colours in the interior 
of the temple are more bright and better preserved 
than in any other, whether of Egypt or Ethiopia, 
which has been exposed to the open air. The bril- 
liancy and high polish of some of the tints, parti- 
cularly of the light blues, might almost be taken 
for enamel. This temple was consecrated to Man- 
donli, or the Sun, as appears from the numerous 
" proscunemata" on the walls and columns. Among 
others, " Caius Cassius, commander of the Theban 
troop of cavalry, records his visit, and that he 
brought with him to worship here, his brothers, his 
children, his servants, and his horse." Kalapshe is 
particularly rich in Greek inscriptions ; and there is 
a long and very curious one, which records the 
conquest of the country by Silcho king of the 
Blemmyes, an historical fact mentioned by an an- 
cient author. 

In a hill above Kalapshe is a small excavated 
temple called Beht el Ouali. It is entered by a 
passage cut through the rock, on the sides of which 
are some of the most beautiful bas-reliefs to be 
found on the banks of the Nile. They are exposed 
to the air, but in perfect preservation, and represent 
a procession with offerings to some prince or deity, 
in which, besides a number of human figures, are 



220 



introduced various animals dead and living, all de- 
signed and executed on a small scale, but with the 
greatest truth and delicacy. 

Below Kalapshe the river is contracted into a 
narrow channel, between bold and abrupt rocks on 
each side, and its course is also broken bv several 
islands, on one of which is a deserted and ruinous 
village. At the northern extremity of this defile, 
which has been sometimes called the Gate of Nubia, 
is the village of Tafa, the ancient Taphis, in a re- 
tired and sheltered situation, screened by rocks on 
the south and west, and commanding a fine view 
down the river. Here are the remains of two small 
temples, one of which is blocked up with rude 
buildings, and used as a shed for cows, and the 
other is rapidly disappearing, as the natives pull 
down the walls for the sake of the metal cramps 
with which the stones are fastened together. 

30th. — We landed at Gortas, and walked through 
heaps of ruins to the quarries, which are about half 
a mile from the river, and are very extensive. Among 
them is a small excavated temple of Isis, covered 
with Greek inscriptions, which preserve all their 
original freshness. 

On our return we deviated a little to our right, 
to visit the remains of a small but very beautiful 
temple dedicated to the same goddess, and advan- 
tageously placed on the side of a hill. It consists 
of six columns, with some remains of the architrave. 
Two of the columns have plain but elegantly shaped 



221 



capitals ; two others are ornamented with date leaves^ 
lotus, Indian corn, and bunches of grapes ; and the 
remaining two, have female heads like those at 
Denderah. The faces are well preserved, and have 
the peculiar form, the prominent eye, and soft ex- 
pression of the lip, which characterize generally 
the Egyptian statues, and of which now and then 
a living model may be found among the Egyptian 
women of the present day. 

We afterwards landed at Debode, (Parembole,) 
where there is an unfinished temple. It is remark- 
able for having four pyla or gateways, one behind 
the other. The first stands on a stone quay close 
to the river. In the sanctuary are two of the small 
nonolithic temples of granite, which are supposed 
o have served as cages for the sacred animals. 

How abundant are the remains of antiquity in 
his district, and how thickly set with religious 
edifices were the banks of the Nile between the 
first and second Cataract, may be judged from our 
laving visited in the course of three easy days' sail 
twelve different temples. All of them, with the ex- 
ception of the excavations at Girshi-Hassan and at 
Ipsambul, are on a smaller scale than those of Egypt, 
and the greater part of them are of a comparatively 
modern date. This circumstance is indicated by 
certain peculiarities in the architecture, and also by 
the bas-reliefs and other monuments, which are 
evidently of a period when the native Egyptian 
manner had been mixed up with imitations of Greek 



222 



or Roman sculpture, introduced probably by artists 
from those countries. 

Some of the temples in Nubia appear never to 
have been finished, and others to have been partly 
pulled down to employ the materials elsewhere. 
An inscription exists at Kalapshe recording the re- 
moval of some stones from thence to assist in build- 
ing a temple at Philae. Upon the whole, however, 
they have suffered less from the lapse of time and 
the hand of the destroyer, than their more stately 
Egyptian neighbours. The greater dryness of the 
climate, and the more remote situation and com- 
parative poverty of the country, which have pre- 
vented it from being so long occupied by invading 
armies, are among the causes of this better state 
of preservation, and they were protected for some 
centuries from wanton injury, by having been 
almost universally adopted as places of worship by 
the early Christians. In order to accommodate them 
to this purpose, it was necessary to efface as much 
as possible the symbols of paganism with which the 
walls were covered ; and they were accordingly 
painted over with the effigies of saints and angels 
in the gaudy colours and barbarous style of the 
lower empire. The monks, however, did not work 
with such durable materials as their predecessors ; 
and the outer coat of paint has in many instances 
crumbled away, exposing the ancient pictures par- 
tially to view, and producing some whimsical com- 
binations of the old and new religions, — the head of 



223 



St. Basil may perchance be seen resting between 
trie horns of Isis, the snout of Typhon peeping 
from under the robe of St. Anthony, or the mitre 
of Osiris overshadowing the brows of St. Atha- 
nasius. 

Below Debode the river gradually expands and 
assumes the appearance of a lake shut in on every 
side by basaltic rocks, and the island of Philae with 
its groves and temples rises majestically from its 
bosom. We anchored there in the evening of the 
30th of March; just three weeks after leaving As- 
souan. Philse is still called " The Island of Tem- 
ples * ;" and it has been observed, that the Egyptians 
" seem to have studied to collect there every pic- 
turesque and striking beauty of which their archi- 
tecture was susceptible/' either to outvie their 
./Ethiopian neighbours, or to dazzle by the splen- 
dour and wealth of their religious edifices, the 
strangers who might enter their country by this 
frontier. The principal landing place was at the 
southern end of the island, where there was pro- 
bably a flight of steps leading up to the avenue, or 
Dromos as it is called, which conducted to the 
great temple. At the entrance of this avenue, on 
the western side, are two small obelisks of stone, 
one of which is still standing, and has a Greek in- 
scription containing the " proscunema" of one of 
the Ptolemies ; and behind them are six pillars, 
which formed the portico of a small temple of Isis, 
* Giziret el Birbe. 



224 



who seems to have been the tutelar deity of the 
island. From thence a covered corridor with thirty- 
columns in front, extends northward along the 
bank of the river, supported by a massive wall 
built up from below the water's edge. This colon- 
nade formed the western side of the dromos or ap- 
proach ; the eastern side was formed by a gallery of 
seventeen columns only, at the back of which were 
doors opening into cells or chambers, the habita- 
tions probably of the priests. At the northern end 
of the avenue a lofty propylon opens into a large 
court or Pronaos, on the eastern side of which is a 
colonnade of ten pillars, and on the western a tem- 
ple dedicated also to Isis, and surrounded by a pe- 
ristyle, with a portico in front supported by two 
ranges of columns, and communicating with the 
dromos by another pylon in the same line with the 
great one, which enters into the pronaos. On the 
northern side of the pronaos is the grand portico, 
a magnificent hall supported by ten columns, two 
in the front and four in each of the back rows. 
These columns are lofty and of fine proportions ; 
the capitals are elegantly shaped, and painted with 
pale blue and pale green, relieved by some slight 
touches of pale red ; a combination of colours most 
refreshing to the eye after the glare of sunshine on 
the outside, and which gives an air of coolness to 
the portico even in the hottest day. Round the 
skirting of the walls there is a range of palm-leaves 
painted in red ; and the ceiling, as in most of the 



225 



Egyptian temples is a blue ground sprinkled with 
white stars. The sanctuary within the portico is com- 
posed of a number of small chambers, all of which 
remain very perfect. The different buildings which 
I have described are not in a straight line, but are 
placed obliquely to each other, — a peculiarity result- 
ing perhaps from the necessity of accommodating 
them to the slope of the ground and the course 
of the river, but which adds very much to their 
picturesque effect. 

At some distance to the eastward of the great 
temple is a smaller one, which, though very beau- 
tiful, bears little resemblance to the other sacred 
buildings of the Egyptians. It is evidently unfi- 
nished, and consists only of an oblong inclosure, 
with five columns at each of the sides and two at 
each end, between which latter are the entrances. 
The other intercolumniations are filled up to more 
than half their height by walls or panels sur- 
mounted by the winged globe, like those I have 
noticed at Kalapshe. There is no roof, a deficiency 
which is probably to be attributed to its unfinished 
state. The proportions of the columns are lighter 
than usual, and some of the capitals have ornaments 
very much resembling the Ionic volute, a circum- 
stance which has led to the supposition that this 
was one of the models from which the Greek 
architects took the idea of that order. It is more 
probably, however, a specimen of the latest manner 

Q. 



226 



of the Egyptian school when it was gradually 
melting into the Roman. 

Philae is a rich field for the study of Egyptian 
art. The different buildings afford examples of the 
style of its different seras, and the unfinished 
state of some of them throws a light on the man- 
ner of their construction. It seems evident that 
the ornamental parts were added after the solid 
masonry was put up, and in some cases perhaps 
at a considerable interval of time. On one of 
the propyla, for instance, there are several inscrip- 
tions partly effaced by the outline of bas-reliefs 
which have been subsequently cut on them; and in 
the colonnades there are capitals in every stage of 
progress, from the first rude outline marked on 
the stone, to the highest and most elaborate finish. 
There is a great variety in the designs* of these, 
but they are chiefly composed of the branches and 
fruit of the palm-tree and the leaves and flowers 
of the lotus. The Greek inscriptions in different 
parts of the temples are innumerable, and comprise 
a period extending from the age of the Ptolemies 
till after the establishment of Christianity. 

It would be difficult to find a more agreeable re- 
treat than Philse, or a spot better suited to repose 
and contemplation. The surrounding scenery is 

* In one collection that I know, there are drawings of forty- 
eight varieties of Egyptian capitals, most of which are to be found 
at Philae. 



227 



romantic, the climate in spring is delightful, the 
buildings afford an inexhaustible source of occupa- 
tion to the antiquary and the draftsman ; and as the 
only inhabitants on the island are two or three old 
men and women, a stranger is not annoyed by the 
myriads of half-starved dogs and naked children, 
which rush out upon him from the mud cottages 
generally attached to an Egyptian temple, and ba- 
nish every thought congenial to the place. Here, 
on the contrary, the retirement and solitude is so 
complete, that he may fancy himself entirely se- 
parated from the world, and may commune un- 
interruptedly with ages gone by. 

I remained a week at Philae, during which time 
I received a visit from my Reis, who was waiting 
for me at Assouan, and who could make but sorry 
excuses when I taxed him with his roguery in not 
taking me up the Cataract. My Dragoman Con- 
stantino Dracopolo, tired of waiting, had set out on 
his return to Cairo, but my satisfaction in getting 
rid of him was rather damped, by his having during 
my absence drank up great part of my wine, and 
afterwards carried away, for his own use on his 
voyage, several essential articles of my equipage. 



9 2 



228 



CHAPTER VIIL 

NILE. CAIRO. DAMIETTA. 

We left Philae on the 5th of April. Our little 
boat conveyed us to the head of the eastern branch 
of the Cataract ; and a walk of about two miles, in 
the course of which we visited the famous granite 
quarries, brought us to its lower extremity, where 
the cangia was waiting for us. We immediately 
stood over to the island of Elephantine, whose 
picturesque scenery has been so much vaunted by 
Denon and other travellers. To me it appeared 
very tame after Philae, and its chief beauty seem- 
ed to consist in some fine groves of sycamores. 
It was an important Roman station ; there is a 
small temple in very good preservation, and the 
ground is literally heaped up with small fragments 
of pottery. Many of these are written over with 
Greek characters, so rude in their shape as to be 
scarcely legible, but which when deciphered prove 
to be receipts for their monthly pay, given by the 
Roman soldiers who were stationed here. 

Assouan, which is exactly over-against Elephan- 
tine on the eastern bank of the Nile, is a large 
town, possessing numerous Egyptian, Roman, Sa- 
racenic and French remains, but none of very 
great interest. 



229 

On the two following days we revisited Coum 
Ombos and Edfu; and on the 8th explored the sepul- 
chral grottoes of Eleithia, which are excavated in 
some lofty cliffs about two miles east of the river. 
If the temple of Edfu is the grandest, the caves of 
Eleithia are perhaps the most interesting of all 
the Egyptian monuments ; as they are ornamented 
with paintings in very good preservation, illustra- 
tive of almost every part of the rural and domestic 
ceconomy of the ancient inhabitants. The different 
operations of agriculture — ploughing, sowing, hoe- 
ing, rolling, reaping, binding, thrashing, winnow- 
ing, and storing the corn in granaries ; the modes 
of killing, flaying, and cutting up the beasts ; the 
vintage, and manufacture of wine ; the gathering 
and dressing of flax; fowling, both with nets and 
arrows, boar-hunting, fishing and salting the fish ; 
boats and shipping; a grand feast with musicians 
and dancers ; and a pompous funeral, in which the 
process of embalming is introduced — are all de- 
picted with the greatest minuteness, and with suf- 
ficient truth to give a perfect idea of the objects 
intended to be represented, although without any 
attention to perspective or to light and shade, the 
neglect of which important points is the grand de- 
fect of all Egyptian painting. 

10th. — We again reached Thebes, and spent three 
days in reviewing at leisure the different monu- 
ments there. During this time a great number of 
antiquities were brought to me by the Fellahs for 



230 



sale, but I was not fortunate enough to meet with 
any thing of much value. In this pursuit, indeed, a 
traveller must depend very much on chance for 
success ; for if he is not present at the moment 
when a new tomb or mummy-pit is discovered, all 
that is most valuable is immediately bought up by 
the agents of the European collectors at Cairo or 
Alexandria. These persons reside constantly on 
the spot, and have of course a greater knowledge 
of what is going on, and greater facilities of deal- 
ing with the natives. They also themselves ex- 
cavate for the account of their employers, who 
obtain grants of land for the purpose from the 
Turkish authorities : and as a great spirit of rivalry 
prevails among them, disputes frequently arise upon 
either real or pretended invasions of each other's 
territories, and sometimes end in open violence # . 
It is to be lamented that many of them are low 
ignorant men, in whose hands the liberal pursuits 
of the antiquary are degraded into mere commer- 
cial speculations. 

16th. — I spent the day among the ruins of Den- 
derah, which, like almost all the ancient remains in 
this country, will be more admired at the second 
than at the first visit. It is necessary, indeed, to 
be habituated in some degree to Egyptian archi- 
tecture, in order duly to appreciate its merits. To 
a traveller fresh from Italy or Greece, whose eye 
has been accustomed to the light style of Palla- 
* See Belzoni's Narrative, p. 364. 



231 



dian architecture, or even to the more solid propor- 
tions of the Doric, the temples on the Nile can 
scarcely fail at first view to appear heavy almost to 
deformity. The intercolumniations will seem too 
small, the pillars crowded, and the ordinary form 
of them, — especially when, as is generally the case, 
they are buried to a considerable depth in rubbish, 
— extremely clumsy ; while the ornaments will be 
thought monotonous in design and redundant in 
quantity. It is only after repeated and attentive 
observation that these unfavourable impressions 
wear off, and we become gradually sensible of the 
grand effect produced by the vast size of the build- 
ings, by the massiveness of the masonry, the 
strength of the columns, the variety of the capitals, 
the graceful inclination of the outer walls, the sim- 
plicity of the mouldings, and the bold curve of the 
cornice. The happy adaptation of the style to the 
climate will reconcile us also to some of its pecu- 
liarities. In more temperate regions, a single peri- 
style was sufficient ; here, a deeper portico, fre- 
quently containing four rows of columns, was ne- 
cessary to protect the worshipper from the rays of 
an almost vertical sun. The ornaments too, it may 
be observed, however crowded, are always made 
subservient to the principal design; and at that 
point of distance where the architecture is seen to 
the greatest advantage, the sculpture for the most 
part is no longer distinguishable. Even among 
the grotesque and monstrous compounds of men, 



232 



beasts, and birds # , with which every part of the 
buildings is covered, some figures may be founds 
whose forms and countenances show plainly what 
the artist was capable of performing, if (as I have 
before remarked) his genius had not been cramped 
by his subject. Strength, durability, and shade, 
seem to have been the objects of the architect; and 
in pursuit of them, he has attained grandeur. Dig- 
nity, serenity, and repose, were what the sculptor 
aimed at expressing ; and he has frequently pro- 
duced beauty. 

Good taste in the combination of colours seems 
natural to the inhabitants of the East even at the 
present day; and artists who have examined criti- 
cally the paintings in the tombs of the kings and 
elsewhere, which remain in perfect preservation, 
have been surprised at the knowledge of effect which 
the ancient colourists possessed. It is not pro- 
duced, they say, by the purity or brightness of any 
particular tint; but, as in the works of the Venetian 
school, by that perfect arrangement which will not 
allow any part, however unimportant it may appear, 
to be altered, without injuring the effect of the 
whole composition. 

It is to be lamented, that of all the graphic 

* In justice to the ancient Egyptians, it should be observed, 
that these figures were probably nothing more than the represen- 
tations of the statues of their deities, dressed in the masks under 
which it was the custom of the priests to disguise them in their 
ceremonies and processions. — See Hamilton, p. 160. 



233 



works published on Egypt, not one can be found 
which does complete justice to the ancient monu- 
ments, or which can convey an accurate notion of 
their effect to the minds of those who have never 
seen them. Even the " Grand Litre" of the French 
Institute, though a splendid tribute to the memory 
of the mighty genius by whose direction it was 
commenced, and a monument of the unparalleled 
perfection at which the arts had arrived under his 
auspices, is in many parts inaccurate to a degree 
scarcely to be credited by those who have not had 
an opportunity of comparing it with the originals 
on the spot. It is provoking to see the exquisite 
skill of the engraver frequently wasted on draw- 
ings which bear scarcely any resemblance to the 
objects they profess to represent ; and many of 
which were made by inferior hands, the Ingeni- 
eurs des ponts et des chausstes. Even the works of 
the better French artists lose much of their value, 
from their propensity to represent ancient build- 
ings rather as they suppose them to have been, 
than as they actually see them now. They are too 
fond of restorations, — and restorations, in the Arts at 
least, are seldom happy # . 

On the 20th we arrived at Siout, where Dr. 

* The drawings of Bossi, which have been published in litho- 
graph by my friend Mr. Edward Cooper, are very faithful and 
characteristic representations of the scenery and inhabitants of 
the banks of the Nile. But the temples cannot be given with 
effect on so small a scale. 



234 



Marruchi confirmed the unwelcome reports that 
we had already heard, of the plague having broke 
out at Cairo ; and three days afterwards, on reach- 
ing Erramouni, we found several Franks who had 
come thither as a place of refuge, the disease sel- 
dom spreading so high up the country. 

26th. — -On our arrival at Minieh we learned 
that it had not yet made its appearance there ; and 
we therefore ventured on shore, and accompanied 
by Dr. Nicola, an Italian physician, paid a visit to 
Achmet Bey, the governor of the place, — a jolly 
fresh-coloured man, of about forty-five years of 
age, very gay in his dress, and free from all Turk- 
ish reserve and hauteur. Having lived much in his 
youth with the English and French armies, he had 
acquired some tincture of European manners, and 
professed great attachment to Franks in general. 
After the usual pipes and coffee, a glass of excel- 
lent rum punch was handed round, — the only time 
that I ever saw any fermented liquor openly intro- 
duced in the house of a Mahometan of distinction. 
The Bey did not drink any himself, probably re- 
serving his libation for a more private opportunity. 
He asked us a great many questions, chiefly on po- 
litical topics, expressed much satisfaction at having 
seen us, and soon after our return to our boats sent 
us two sheep and a good supply of bread and vege- 
tables. As our whole stock of presents was long 
ago exhausted, we could only repay this munificence 
by a liberal bacsheesh to his servants. 



235 



At Souadi, opposite to Minieh, there was a ma 
nufactory of sugar and spirits; under the manage- 
ment of a Mr. Sutherland^, who had formerly been 
a lieutenant-colonel in the English army ; and I 
took the opportunity of laying in a stock of the 
latter article. My boatmen had in general no 
scruples in drinking it; and as I was very anxious 
to reach Cairo before the plague should have had 
time to spread^ I thought that an occasional dis- 
tribution of rations would be a good way of se- 
curing their more strenuous exertions. The plan 
succeeded^ and kept them in high good humour. 
They remained almost constantly at their oars for 
more than sixty hours ; and having left Minieh on 
the 27th, we anchored at Old Cairo on the even- 
ing of the 29th of March; a distance which in 
going up had taken us eight days to perform. 
The next morning I left the boat at day-break, 
and accompanied by Pearce repaired to the Eng- 
lish consulate; avoiding as much as possible all 
contact with the passengers who came in our 
way. 

Though the plague did not as yet rage with great 
violence in Cairo; yet the Frank houses were all 
shut up. Mr. Salt, however; was kind enough to 
admit us ; and after passing two or three days' qua- 
rantine in a detached apartment; we were allowed to 
join the rest of the party which had sought refuge 
in the consulate. It consisted of my old com- 
panion Mr. Jowett, the Baron Sack a Prussian, 



236 



and two English gentlemen (Mr. Stevenson, and 
Dr. Armstrong), who were on their way from 
Bombay to England We were closely confined 
within the walls of the consulate, and all persons 
from without were as rigidly excluded. The gate 
which opened from the court into the street was 
strictly closed, and the only communication was 
through a hatch-door cut in it. The key of this 
was not entrusted even to the servants. Each of 
the company took charge of it in his turn for a 
day, and it was his business to see that every 
thing supposed capable of communicating the con- 
tagion was duly purified before it was allowed to 
pass into the house. These precautions were at 
any rate useful, as giving a feeling of security ; but 
I have no doubt that the distinction between such 
objects as are called " susceptible" (to use the 
technical phrase), and such as are not, is frequently 
arbitrary, and that the index expurgatorius in this, 
as in other instances, is tinged by prejudice and 
caprice. Happily, some of the articles of most fre- 
quent use, such as bread, iron, and wood for ex- 
ample, were allowed to pass without suspicion; 
but meat and all animal substances, and money 
of every kind, were thrown with iron tongs or 
shovels into a large tub, and compelled to pass 
through the watery ordeal. Letters, books, and 

* Both these gentlemen, after escaping from the Cholera 
Morbus at Bombay and the Plague in Egypt, unfortunately fell 
victims to the Malaria fever in Greece. 



237 

papers, on the other hand, are purified by fire, or 
at least by smoke, being placed on a sort of chafing- 
dish, and fumigated with a compound of drugs 
which is anything but aromatic ; and if it should 
be necessary to affix a signature to any document, a 
plate of glass is introduced between the paper and 
the hand of the writer. The cats, who in their 
nocturnal rambles are supposed to carry with them 
the seeds of contagion, are condemned to indiscri- 
minate slaughter whenever they are seen creeping 
along the walls or on the housetops ; and when 
terror is at its height, even the flies are objects of 
alarm, and the sports of Domitian are revived. 

And after all, some persons have denied that the 
plague is contagious ; a paradox which seems to be 
as much at variance with facts as with general opi- 
nion # . But on the other hand, from the circum- 
stance of the disease never spreading beyond certain 
latitudes, and from its regularly appearing and 
disappearing at Cairo at certain periods of the year, 
it may fairly be inferred that it is influenced by 
climate and by the state of the atmosphere ; and 
susceptibility to its attacks seems to depend also in 
some degree upon the mode of life of the subject. 
The Frank, from his more generous diet, is least 
liable to it ; the Musulman, using no strong liquors, 
is more so : but the greatest mortality is always 
found to take place among the native Christians, 
whose long fasts necessarily tend to lower the sy- 
* See Macmichael "on Contagion." 



238 

stem. The state of mind too has no doubt great 
influence *. The precautions which the Frank takes 
give him., as I have before observed, a feeling of 
security ; and the Turk, persuaded that it is Kesmet, 
or decreed-}-, whether or not he shall die of the 
plague, smokes his pipe tranquilly and awaits his 
destiny. 

Mr. Salt strongly pressed me to remain at Cairo 
till the plague should have subsided, and I felt no 
wish to leave the comfortable quarters and agreeable 
society which his house afforded. The season, how- 
ever, was advancing, and the great heats coming on ; 
and I was anxious to breathe the refreshing gales 
of Mount Lebanon, and to finish my tour in Syria 
before the winter should set in. My former com- 
panion Mr. Jowett agreed to accompany me as 
far as Jerusalem ; and as one of his objects in going 
thither was to search for Abyssinian manuscripts 
and converse with Abyssinian pilgrims, he deter- 

* I observed an instance of this in my Italian servant, who, as 
servants were not admitted into Mr. Salt's house, was obliged to 
live at a tavern in the neighbourhood, where (as he told me after- 
wards) several of his companions died of the disease. Knowing 
him not to be remarkable for courage, I asked him whether he 
was not alarmed j but he replied in the negative, telling me that 
he had a piece of the wood of the true cross, or of the Virgin's 
tomb at Loretto, — I forget which, — and that so long as he wore it 
round his neck, he was confident that he was not in any danger. 
Though the charm might not derive its virtue from the causes 
which he supposed, yet I have no doubt that it was efficacious, 
and that "his faith kept him whole." 

t Literally " written." 



239 



mined, much to my satisfaction, to take Pearce with 
him. It was thought that we should run less risk 
of catching the plague if we passed through the 
desert of El Arish, than if we went down the Nile 
and embarked at Damietta for Jaffa ; and as I knew 
that the camel on his native sands was a safe and 
not uneasy conveyance, I agreed to this mode of 
travelling. Nine of these animals were necessary for 
ourselves and baggage. One of them was loaded 
entirely with water, which is carried in goatskins, 
and which it was necessary to be provided with, as 
none is to be found in the five days' journey which 
intervenes between the cultivated plains of the 
Delta and the frontiers of Palestine. A second car- 
ried a tent equipage, which had been given me by 
Mr. Stevenson ; and a third was laden with a number 
of packing-cases containing bibles and other re- 
ligious books, which my companion hoped to dis- 
seminate in the course of his tour. All arrangements 
being made, on the 1st of June we set out on our 
pilgrimage to the Holy City. We left Cairo by 
the " Bab el Nasr," or Gate of Glory ; and as it 
is the custom of caravans to make but a short stage 
on the first day, we halted in an open spot about 
ten miles distant. 

June 2nd. — Our route lay along the skirts of 
the desert, which stretched out as far as the eye 
could reach on our right. On the left were the 
rich fields of the Delta, among which we observed 
at a distance several of those immense mounds of 



240 



earth which indicate the sites of ancient cities. 
About noon we arrived at Belbeis, a considerable 
town, where we had intended to halt : but under- 
standing that the plague had made its appearance 
there, we thought it more prudent to encamp on 
the sands near a spring, about three quarters of a 
mile distant. We had scarcely pitched our tent 
and unloaded our camels, when we were interrupted 
by a visit from an Albanian soldier and an ill-look- 
ing fellow in the dress of a Coptic scribe, who de- 
manded in a very insolent way to search our bag- 
gage. Before leaving Cairo we had taken the pre- 
caution of procuring from the Kiayah Bey, (or mi- 
nister of the interior,) a teschere, authorising us to 
pass the frontiers without being subject to any 
such vexations ; but on showing it to these ruffians, 
they threw it from them with the greatest disdain, 
saying that they had nothing to do with the Kiayah 
Bey, that they were custom-house officers, and 
would persevere in their search. As I thought that 
they had no object in view but to obtain a bacsheesh, 
I determined to resist ; and after some altercation, 
I desired Pearce to say that if they did not imme- 
diately quit the tent we would remove them by force. 
Seeing that we were well armed, and judging from 
Pearce's appearance and manner that his threat was 
very likely to be put into execution, they went 
grumbling away, and we heard no more of them : 
but I have no doubt that their visit was in some 
way connected with the events which followed. 



241 



Being much fatigued with our morning's march 
under a burning sun, we determined not to proceed 
any further that evening, and retired early to re- 
pose, intending to set out at day-break, and com- 
plete our next stage before the violent heat came 
on. On rising in the morning I was a little sur- 
prised at missing the fire-arms, which I was accus- 
tomed to lay beside me. Supposing, however, that 
they might have been removed by the servant in 
making preparations for our departure, I proceeded, 
without thinking more about it, to dress myself, 
when I found that some of my clothes also were 
wanting ; and on looking round, I perceived to my 
no small consternation, that a pair of large Turkish 
heybehs or saddle-bags, which contained all my 
valuables, had disappeared also. It now occurred 
to me that we had been robbed during the night ; 
I immediately gave the alarm : a general search was 
commenced ; the pegs on one side of the tent were 
found to have been removed, and the melancholy 
truth was soon apparent, when among some broken 
ground and bushes about a quarter of a mile di- 
stant, we discovered the bags " gaping with a ghastly 
wound," through which all their contents had been 
extracted. The thieves had evidently proceeded in 
the most leisurely and methodical manner. They 
had removed the baggage to a convenient distance, 
and availed themselves of the clear moonlight to 
pick out such articles only as they thought valu- 
able. Clothes, money, a very valuable gold watch, 

R 



242 



a collection of medals., ammunition, fire-arms and 
instruments, were all gone ; and so careful had been 
their selection, that they had taken the silver tops 
of an inkstand and left the glasses. Letters, papers, 
books, and a few other things which did not suit their 
purpose, we found scattered on the sand and among 
the bushes, and I was at any rate glad to recover so 
much from the wreck of my fortunes. I was not, 
however, the only loser. My Italian servant Biaggio, 
to whom I have before introduced the reader, had 
been in the habit of carrying twenty gold dou- 
bloons # , the whole of his capital, in a belt which 
never quitted his waist till this unfortunate expedi- 
tion, when lulled into a fatal security he had de- 
posited it among my baggage. As soon as his loss 
was confirmed, he burst out into the most violent 
expressions of grief, wept aloud, tore his hair, and 
called the Virgin and half the saints in the calendar 
to his assistance, with such piteous tones and gro- 
tesque gestures, that I could not in spite of my 
vexation refrain from a hearty fit of laughter. It 
is worthy of remark, that Mr. Jowett's packages 
remained untouched, owing perhaps to an instinc- 
tive repugnance which the robbers felt to the bibles 
and other devout books which they contained. 

After the first shock of surprise was over, we 
held a council on the measures which in our present 
situation it would be best to adopt ; and it was 
thought proper first to lay the case before the 
* About 90Z. sterling. 



243 



nearest local authorities. In spite of the plague 
therefore we repaired to the town, and surprised 
the Shekh by an early visit. After due delibera- 
tion, for which the usual ceremonies of coffee and 
pipes gave him ample Leisure, he pronounced that 
the robbery must certainly have been committed by 
our own attendants, promised to take steps to re- 
cover the property should it have been conveyed to 
the town, and concluded by recommending us to 
return forthwith to Cairo, and lay our complaints 
before the Kiayah Bey. We were amused with his 
attempt to shift the suspicion from his own people ; 
but to return to Cairo was absolutely necessary, as 
I had lost every thing, and was of course utterly 
unable to prosecute my journey. After leaving the 
Shekh, therefore, we went to a large encampment 
of Turkish cavalry, which lay on the opposite side 
of the town ; when having explained the circum- 
stances to the Bim-bashi who commanded, he 
appointed an officer and two soldiers to escort 
us, and we set out slowly and sorrowfully on our 
return. 

Early the next morning we presented ourselves 
at the house of the consul, who was very much 
surprised to see us again so soon, and still more so 
when he heard the cause of our return, a similar 
misfortune not having for a long time occurred to 
any Frank travellers. We again went through the 
ceremony of quarantine in a separate apartment 
before we rejoined the other guests, but in the 

r 2 



244 



meantime measures were taken for the recovery of 
the lost property. This was rendered more difficult 
by the circumstance of the plague being now at its 
height, and business being consequently in a great 
degree suspended. The disease had made its way 
into the Pasha's seraglio, one of his favourite wives 
had fallen a victim to it, and he himself had retired 
from the city to his palace at Shoubra. The Eng- 
lish dragoman, — a good-natured and worthy man, 
so short in stature and so ample in size, that 
some of our party were wont to compare him to 
the figure of Can opus # , — was subject to such vio- 
lent apprehension of the disease, that I believe no 
motive either of duty or of interest would have 
drawn him forth from his abode ; and the only 
person whom I could make my charge tfaffaires 
on the occasion was the French dragoman, whose 
more moderate appointments gave him little to 
lose, and made him more anxious for gain. 
Through his intervention Mr. Salt transmitted a 
memorial to the Kiayah Bey, who promised to 
use all endeavours for the recovery of the pro- 
perty, and ordered a preliminary bastinado to be 
inflicted on some suspected persons, among whom 
were the devigis or camel-drivers who had attend- 
ed us. I have no doubt that these men were 
engaged in the plot ; but the actual robbers were 
probably the inhabitants of the town of Belbeis, 

* That deity, it is well known, is represented by a human head 
rising from a large swelling jar. 



245 



who have the character of being very expert thieves, 
and are said to have a peculiar method of convey- 
ing away any objects of plunder by means of hooks 
and lines attached to them. This novel mode of 
angling they probably practised on the present oc- 
casion, and it may account for their having been 
able to effect their purpose with so little noise as 
not to have disturbed our repose. 

After waiting for about a month, which was occu- 
pied, or said to be occupied in fruitless researches, 
and after several applications to the government 
on the part of Mr. Salt, (to whose friendly and stre- 
nuous exertions I was much indebted throughout 
the whole affair,) I was informed that there was 
no longer any chance of finding my property, but 
that the amount of it should be repaid me in 
money on my sending in a schedule and valuation 
of the different articles. This I immediately did ; 
and after many delays, to which the plague in the 
first instance, and the fast of the Ramazan after- 
wards afforded a pretext, I succeeded at the end 
of about two months in obtaining the full of my 
demand, amounting to more than 9,000 Egyptian 
piastres, or two hundred and fifty pounds sterling. 
This was not near the full value of the lost pro- 
perty ; among which, moreover, were many things 
which in these countries it would have been im- 
possible at any price to replace ; and of the money 
received, a great portion was expended in presents 
and bacsheeshes to the numerous persons who 



246 



either had or pretended to have had a share in ma- 
king good my claims. On the whole., however, I 
had great reason to be satisfied with the result of 
the affair, and to congratulate myself that the rob- 
bery did not happen in a civilized country. The 
custom of remunerating passengers for thefts com- 
mitted within their territories has been common to 
almost all nations in certain stages of society. It still 
prevails in several provinces of the Turkish empire, 
as for example in Egypt, and in the Pashalik of Acre ; 
and while the family of Karasman Oglou governed 
Ionia, it was practised in their dominions also. It 
is related that a travelling merchant one day over- 
come with fatigue, threw himself down to sleep in a 
grove of trees near Magnesia where they then re- 
sided. He had no one to watch him, and on awaking 
found that his horse had been stolen. He immedi- 
ately repaired to the governor, complained of the theft, 
and put in his claim to compensation. u But how," 
said Karasman Oglou, "couldyoubeso imprudent as 
to sleep without having some one to watch your pro- 
perty ?" " I slept, Aga," replied the traveller, "because 
I thought that you did not sleep." And this ready 
answer procured him immediate compensation. 

Though from me perhaps it may be an ungra- 
cious remark, yet it is not the less true, that the 
custom does not proceed from pure liberality, nor 
does the governor pay the indemnity out of his 
own treasury. He imposes an Avaniah or contri- 
bution on the district where the robbery took place; 



247 



and as the sum levied generally exceeds the amount 
of the loss, he thus, like an able financier, converts 
the public wrong into a private benefit. 

But to return to my narrative. — We came to Cairo 
on the 4th of June, and there still wanted three 
weeks to St. John's day, when that benevolent saint 
drives away the plague, and allows the imprisoned 
inhabitants again to associate together. Ours was, 
however, a very comfortable prison. We had a 
house with spacious and cool apartments, a shady 
garden arranged in the English style, a library well 
stored with books, an endless variety of drawings 
and sketches, a large collection of Egyptian anti- 
quities ; and though last, not least in our esteem, 
an excellent billiard-table. With these resources 
time flew rapidly along : for myself I can truly say 
that the days of quarantine passed without a single 
moment of ennui ; and I believe that I was not so- 
litary in my feeling of regret, when the time arrived 
which was to open the doors to general society. 
Of this it must be admitted that Grand Cairo does 
not afford a very favourable specimen. The native 
Levantines are men entirely engrossed by business ; 
and their ladies, devoting themselves to domestic 
affairs, are but little informed, and very few of them 
speak either French or Italian *. Among the Ita- 

* We were dining one day with one of the principal merchants 
of Cairo, and my companion happened to sit next to a lady who 
was a native of Scio. He naturally turned the conversation on 
her countryman Homer, when she asked him with the greatest 
simplicity "whether Homer was not a Genoese." 



248 



lian settlers, however, there were soitie pleasant 
families ; and all those who know Cairo will agree 

with me, that Madame B , the wife of a foreign 

consul, and Madame L , a native of Fiume, 

would be distinguished in any society. Soon after 
the expiration of quarantine, our domestic party 
was increased by the welcome arrival of Mr. W. 
Bankes and Mr. Beechey from Upper Egypt ; and 
it was occasionally enlivened by Belzoni, who paid 
us two or three visits after his return from his ex- 
cursion to the temple of Jupiter Amnion, and who 
when in good spirits was a most agreeable compa- 
nion. The heat for some time previous to the 
rising of the Nile was intense ; and it was with diffi- 
culty that by carefully excluding the light and the 
air during the day-time, we could keep the tempe- 
rature of the rooms as low as 84°. The thermo- 
meter on being carried out of doors flew up directly 
to 105° or 110°. We accommodated our hours to 
the climate and the general manners of the inhabi- 
tants : Rose at four o'clock, and rode out for an 
hour or two before sunrise, dined in the middle 
of the day, and then slept or reposed for two or 
three hours. After this we walked out or paid 
visits, supped soon after sunset, and went to bed 
about midnight. 

It was about this time that an ostrich belonging 
to an English gentleman arrived at Cairo from 
Upper Egypt, and afforded us an opportunity of 
observing the curious peculiarity in the natural 



249 



history of that animal. The persons in charge of 
him observing his great propensity to hard sub- 
stances, mistook unfortunately for his natural and 
ordinary diet things which were only the objects of 
his luxury ; and while they gave him corn only oc- 
casionally, administered every day a certain portion 
of iron, chiefly in the form of nails, to which he oc- 
casionally added a knife or a razor, which he chanced 
to pick up ; or a few loose buttons, which he pulled 
from the coats of his attendants. This metallic sys- 
tem did not however succeed; the poor bird drooped 
gradually, his strength just lasted him to walk with 
a stately step into the court of the consulate, and he 
died in about an hour afterwards. On a post mor- 
tem examination, at which I was present, about 
three pounds of iron were taken from his stomach. 
A considerable portion of the hardest parts, such as 
the blades of the knives and razor, was dissolved ; 
and it is possible that the whole might, in time, 
have been digested, as the death of the animal was 
in part accidental, being immediately occasioned 
by a sharp boat-builder's nail, three or four inches 
long, which he had swallowed, and which had pene- 
trated quite through the stomach and produced 
mortification. 

The rise of the Nile, — to which so many different 
causes have been assigned by different writers, 
from the Greeks mentioned by Herodotus, some 
of whom seem to have guessed the truth # , to 

* Euterpe 19. 



250 



one of our own early travellers, who attributed it 
to the " opening of the dams and sluices in Prester 
John's country/' — is still hailed by the Egyptians as 
the most welcome occurrence of the year. It is 
generally preceded by a heavy dew ; and the inha- 
bitants of Cairo, about the time that it is expected, 
may be seen sitting at night-fall on the house-tops, 
waiting for the welcome " drop," which will im- 
mediately refresh the parched air, and carry off any 
lurking remains of pestilence. 

The day on which the water is admitted into the 
canals and reservoirs of Cairo is one of great re- 
joicing. The banks of the Khalidje or grand cut, 
which communicates from the river to the city, are 
thronged with people, and numbers of workmen 
are in readiness to open a passage through the 
mound of earth which is built across it. The 
Kiayah Bey and other officers of state, attended by 
all " the Memphian chivalry," in their gayest at- 
tire, at length arrive ; the signal is given, and the 
mound is broken down : but previously a small 
earthen image, which had been placed at the top of 
it, is thrown into the water. This is supposed to 
be a vestige of the ancient rite of sacrificing a vir- 
gin to the Nile on this occasion, and the disciples 
of Mahomet thus unconsciously preserve the sem- 
blance of a custom in use among the worshippers of 
Isis and Osiris. During the reign of the Mame- 
lukes, we are told that the scene was enlivened by 
numbers of barges gaily decorated ; but gaiety has 



251 



vanished under the gloomy despotism of the Turks, 
and a few crazy boats only now floated down the 
current. 

Very soon after the expiration of the plague, 
the fast of the Ramazan commenced. In the ap- 
pointment of this observance, it has been remarked, 
that the Prophet favoured the rich rather than the 
poor. The latter, being obliged to work during the 
whole day without the refreshment even of a glass 
of water, feel its effects grievously, especially when 
the revolution of the lunar year, by which the Ma- 
hometans measure time, brings the month of Rama- 
zani into the long days and the intense heat of sum- 
mer. To the rich, on the contrary, it is scarcely any 
penance, as they pass the greater part of the day in 
sleep, and devote the night to business or amuse- 
ment. It was during this fast that I went with Mr. 
Salt to pay a visit to the Pasha, at his villa at Shoubra. 

We left Cairo at about nine o'clock one evening 
on horseback, preceded by the consular janissa- 
ries, and by several men carrying poles, at the top 
of which were fixed iron lanterns, filled with com- 
bustible wood, the flames of which threw a glaring 
light over our cavalcade. An avenue of trees of 
about two miles long conducted us to the gates, 
where we dismounted, and entered the gardens, 
which are extensive and laid out in gravel walks 
bordered with orange-trees, almonds, peaches, and 
a great quantity of exotic plants, which the Pasha 
is fond of receiving from the different countries 



252 



where he has commercial relations. These different 
walks meet at the centre of the garden, where, in 
an open Kiosk, entwined with creepers and sur- 
rounded with fragrant shrubs, we found the sa- 
trap reclining on a crimson divan, and smoking 
from a rich golden Nargillay*. M. Boghoz his 
chief interpreter and minister for foreign affairs, 
and Giovanni Bozri his physician, stood beside 
him; and a number of pages were placed at regular 
intervals, motionless and silent, their eyes intent 
on their master, and each ready in an instant to 
obey the slightest indication of his will. A foun- 
tain played into a reservoir of Italian marble ; and 
on the pavement, which was of the same material, 
stood a large chandelier, which threw its light all 
around the pavilion, and discovered the varied 
groups of persons who were waiting for an au- 
dience, as they glided along through the walks and 
shrubberies, now shining on the sober blue benish 
of a Jewish or Armenian merchant, or the dingy 
mantle of a Bedouin Shekh, and now on the rich 
drapery of a Mameluke, or the white skirt and 
embroidered vest of an Albanian chieftain. The 
Pasha, like all Turks of distinction, was more 
plainly dressed than his attendants. He was a fair 
and healthy-looking man, between fifty and sixty 
years of age, with a thin gray beard, and a counte- 
nance, though agreeable, yet marked with a strong 
expression of cunning. He had not the dignity 
* Better known with us by the Indian name of Hookah. 



253 



either of appearance or manner which generally 
belongs to a Turk of high rank. He talked with 
great freedom, seemed fond of treating every topic 
en bagatelle, and sometimes pushed back his turban 
from off his forehead, and gave himself up to an 
unconstrained fit of laughter. 

The history of the rise of Mahomet Ali is well 
known. He is a native of Salonica, and came over 
to Egypt during the stormy times which succeeded 
to the expulsion of the French, as a Bim-bashi or 
leader of a thousand Albanian soldiers. His supe- 
rior skill or good fortune enabled him to get the 
better of all his competitors : he was invested with 
the Pashalik ; and the massacre of the Mamelukes 
left him undisputed master of the country. Al- 
most all the lands had belonged to them, and at 
their expulsion fell into his hands ; but they were 
burthened with a sort of mortgages to a number of 
individuals called Moltazems, many of them resi- 
ding in distant provinces of the empire, to whom 
allotments in the different villages had been assigned 
in perpetuity. Of these, however, the Pasha took 
possession also, they were declared to be no 
longer hereditary or transferable, and the proprie- 
tors were to receive their income at a valuation to 
be paid out of his treasury. The Wakouf, or en- 
dowments of the mosques and charitable founda- 
tions, were also placed on the same footing; and by 
these and other schemes of " equitable adjust- 
ment" he possessed himself by degrees of almost 



254 



all the landed property in Egypt. Almost every 
branch of trade too was placed under his manage- 
ment, and those who admire the restrictive system 
of commerce may see it here in full bloom and 
beauty; corn, rice, meat, vegetables, and every 
other article of produce, are subjected to the strict- 
est monopoly. The coarse cotton which is manu- 
factured by the wives of the peasants cannot be em- 
ployed for clothing their families till it has been 
sold to the Government and re-purchased at an ad- 
vanced price; and even the homely fuel of the 
country must pass through the Pasha's magazines^. 
At the suggestion too of the various European pro- 
jectors by whom he is surrounded, he has attempted 
to introduce several branches of foreign manufac- 
tures ; and the Egyptians may have the satisfaction 
of buying silks and velvets, the product of native 
industry, at about double the price for which they 
could be imported from France. The bright 
side of his administration is the establishment of 
a system of police, which, though it was carried 
into effect by the utmost severity and cruelty, has 
produced a degree of tranquillity and security which 
Egypt had not enjoyed for ages. Previously to the 
French invasion the country above Cairo was scarce- 
ly better known than the interior of Africa, in con- 

* In a country where there is neither wood nor coal, that use- 
ful animal the camel supplies fuel also ; and the " Pacha liberal " 
of the European journals has sometimes been greeted by his own 
subjects as the " Tadgr el Harra," or Dung-merchant, 



255 



sequence of the difficulties thrown in the way of 
travellers by the lawless spirit of the inhabitants, 
which the French themselves were never able en- 
tirely to repress, but which has been completely 
subdued by the present vigorous government. 

Mahomet Ali, though his successes against the 
Wahabee heretics and the recapture of the holy 
cities have procured him the reputation of being 
the Defender of the Islamite faith, is not supposed 
to be himself a very firm believer. He is regular in 
his attendance at the mosque and in the outward 
observances of his religion, but in private he makes 
little scruple of avowing his real sentiments ; and 
like many strenuous supporters of other creeds, he 
probably thinks the faith chiefly valuable for the 
advantages which he derives from the profession of 
it. The same freedom of opinion prevails among 
most of the great Turks of Egypt, and the Chris- 
tians of the higher classes are supposed to be tainted 
with a similar " latitudinarianism," owing perhaps 
in part to their intercourse with the French repub- 
licans, and in part to the indifferent character of 
their clergy*. 

Soon after the termination of the Ramazan, the 

* I was amused at the way in which an old Levantine mer- 
chant, who considered himself to have been injured by the intrigues 
of a priest, expressed to me in bad Italian his dislike of the whole 
order. " Preti" said he, " diabli siguro — Buonaparte date bas- 
toni assai — quando Buonaparte date bastoni, mi dentro cuore 
piacere." 



256 



Pasha went according to his annual custom to 
Alexandria. Mr. Salt and the other members of 
the mission soon followed him, and I began to 
make preparation for my departure also. I found 
an agreeable companion in the Baron Sack, whom 
I have before mentioned, one of the king of Prussia's 
chamberlains, who having passed great part of his 
earlier life in South America, in making collec- 
tions in natural history, was following up his fa- 
vourite pursuit in these countries, in defiance of ill- 
health and at the advanced age of nearly seventy 
years. We hired for interpreter a Greek named 
Giorgio Luigi, who, unlike his countryman Con- 
stantino Dracopolo, proved an active and useful 
servant. He was a tailor by trade : but this, in a 
country where every man sits crosslegged, does not 
imply any degradation. 

I cannot take leave of Cairo without devoting a 
few lines to my former travelling companion, Na- 
thaniel Pearce ; a man the real vicissitudes of whose 
life need hardly fear to be put in competition with 
the fabled adventures of Robinson Crusoe. Like 
that hero, he was born of respectable parents and 
received a tolerable education, but his wandering 
disposition soon led him into the sea-service, and 
at the very commencement of his career, while yet 
a boy, he showed signs of the enterprising spirit 
by which he was afterwards distinguished. He 
was taken prisoner in an action immediately pre- 
ceding the memorable First of June, and was con- 



fined at Vannes, in the same prison with a number 
of the victims of the French revolution. With 
some of them he plotted an escape ; but being ar- 
rested before they could reach the coast, he was 
compelled to witness the execution of his unfortu- 
nate companions, who were shot one after the 
other on the glacis of the fortress, and was warned 
that the same fate awaited him if he again engaged 
in such an enterprise. The threat did not deter him, 
however, from making another attempt, and this time 
he succeeded in conveying a party safely on board an 
English cruizer. He afterwards entered on board a 
man-of-war (the Sceptre I believe), which was lost 
near the Cape of Good Hope. He sunk w T ith the 
wreck, and after suffering the pains of drowning, 
(which he described as not being very severe,) 
was brought to life again by the care of some 
Dutch settlers on the coast. He then went into the 
India Company's service on a voyage to China, but 
landed at one of the Malay Islands, and remained 
among the natives there till the ship returned from 
Canton. He was subsequently on board a ship of 
war stationed at Bombay, from which his restless 
spirit again tempted him to roam; and he joined 
the army of the Peishwa, who was then at war 
with the English. Peace unluckily for him, being 
soon afterwards concluded, he was given up as a de- 
serter, together with several others of his country- 
men, and they were confined in the fort at Bombay, 
and ordered to be tried by a court-martial. He con- 



258 



trived, however, to make his escape by swimming 
to the mainland, fled to Goa, and engaged himself 
as a sailor on board Lord Valentia's ship, which he 
found lying there. In this capacity he went to the 
Red Sea, where the ship having suffered some da- 
mage in a storm was forced to put back to Bombay. 
Pearce not venturing to return thither, went ashore 
at Mocha, and as a further protection embraced 
the Mahometan faith : but he soon became tired of 
his new profession; and having incurred some sus- 
picion that his conversion was not sincere, he was 
glad to make his escape, and to rejoin Lord Va- 
lentia when he heard of his re-appearance on that 
coast. He then accompanied Mr. Salt on his journey 
into Abyssinia, and being pleased with the country 
determined on settling there ; and entered into 
the service of the Raas Welled Selassee, viceroy of 
the province of Tigre. Having distinguished him- 
self highly in several of the military enterprises of 
that warlike chief, he was placed in the command 
of a considerable body of troops ; — married a re- 
lation of the Raas's wife : and Mr. Salt on his se- 
cond visit to Abyssinia, found him living in great 
wealth and respectability, and highly esteemed by 
the natives *. At the death of the Raas, however 
the Galla negroes, a powerful tribe on the frontiers 
of Abyssinia, who had been kept in check by his 
military prowess, made a successful irruption into 

* See Salt's Voyage to Abyssinia, ad loc. 



259 



the country, and Pearce was stripped of all his 
property and obliged to fly into the mountains, 
where for a long time he endured the greatest 
sufferings, from want and disease. When tran- 
quillity was again restored, he retired to the city 
of Antalow, and remained there for some time in 
poverty and distress; till at length, determining 
to place himself again under Mr. Salt's protection, 
he fled with one of his wives, (the Abyssinian 
Christians being indulged in a plurality,) and ar- 
rived at Cairo in the manner which I have before 
described. His wife survived but a few months: 
and soon after her death he set out for Eng- 
land, in the hopes of being employed to explore 
the interior of Africa, — a service for which, from 
various circumstances, he seemed to be peculiarly 
qualified; but he had only reached Alexandria, when 
he was carried off by a violent disease, at the age 
of little more than forty years, — " though few, yet 
full of fate." 

He was a man of superior intellectual powers, of 
great observation, and able to communicate his 
thoughts in an original and vigorous style. Some 
of the letters which he wrote from Abyssinia to the 
East India Company's resident at Mocha, were 
published in the Asiatic Journal, at Calcutta ; and 
he kept up also a regular correspondence with 
Mr. Salt, and had a large collection of manuscripts 
full of valuable information on his adopted country. 
These at the persuasion of his friends, he intended 

s 2 



260 



to publish on his return to England, accompanied by 
a memoir of his eventful life ; and when I left Cairo 
he was busily engaged in preparing them for that 
purpose. What became of them after his death I 
have never heard; but it is not likely that they will 
now ever see the light, and his name and history will 
remain in unmerited obscurity. He was altogether 
an extraordinary character. Great warmth of tem- 
per, and an unbounded spirit of enterprise were the 
sources of all his errors. His good qualities were 
courage, activity, intelligence, and zeal in the ser- 
vice of his employers. These I had full opportu- 
nity of observing during more than eight months 
that he was my constant, and frequently my only 
companion ; and I am happy to pay this tribute to 
the memory of a humble but much valued friend. 

On the 26th of August, in the evening, we left 
Cairo in an eight-oared cangia. The inundation was 
now at its height; the villages appeared like islands 
in a vast lake, and the verdure of the groves which 
surround them was most luxuriant. We drifted 
rapidly down the river, and with very little assist- 
ance from our oars reached Damietta about noon 
on the 28th, without any memorable occurrence by 
the way. This is a very picturesque town, situated 
at a bend of the river, and forming a crescent on 
its eastern bank. The houses are generally of a 
light yellowish colour ; they are built almost close 
to the waters edge ; most of them have arcades and 
balconies looking over the river ; and the place has 



261 



altogether a Venetian air. I lodged at the house 
of the English agent, M. Surur, a young Levantine 
merchant, where I was treated with great attention 
and politeness ; but I was obliged to trespass upon 
his hospitality much longer than I wished, in con- 
sequence of the Bogaz, or entrance of the river, 
which is about five miles below the town, being 
impassable for nearly a fortnight after my arrival. 



262 



CHAPTER IX. 

PALESTINE. 

On the 10th of September having received a 
more favourable report of the state of the Bo- 
gaz, we determined to try our fortune ; and in 
the afternoon left Damietta in a large Germ and 
went down the river. The bar is formed by a 
moveable sand-bank, which shifts and becomes pas- 
sable when the wind and the current of the Nile 
set in the same direction. The navigation, how- 
ever, is always disagreeable and dangerous ; and 
even now, though the weather had been moderate 
for several days, the bar was covered with a heavy 
surf, and the water was so shallow that the sandy 
bottom was often distinguishable between the waves. 
A solitary mast pointing out the spot where a 
Germ had been wrecked only a few days before, 
did not render the prospect more cheering ; and I 
have seldom felt greater satisfaction than when our 
Arab crew, whose countenances had betrayed con- 
siderable anxiety, announced by an exulting Yah- 
ullah that the danger was over. The wind on the 
outside blowing very fresh, we had still to contend 
for some time with a heavy swell before we could 
join the vessel which was waiting under sail to re- 
ceive us. It was a small polacca brig, so heavily 



263 



laden with passengers, baggage, and merchandize, 
and so low in the water, that we did not feel very 
comfortable till the wind had a little abated. The 
deck was completely covered with bags of rice, 
and we were glad to take refuge in the cabin ; a 
dark low chamber, into which we were obliged to 
crawl on our hands and knees. 

The wind continued favourable, and on the morn- 
ing of the second day we made the land near As- 
calon. We then shifted our course to a northerly 
direction, and ran along at about two miles distance 
from the shore till ten at night, when we anchored 
in the road of Jaffa. This coast is low and sandy, 
but in the interior we could discern the mountains 
of Judsea rising towards the north, and gradually 
sinking into the plain on the south. The next 
morning we landed, and were received on the quay 
by Signor Damiani the English consul. A more 
grotesque figure than this worthy gentleman it is 
difficult to conceive. He was a man of about sixty 
years of age, tall and portly. The lower parts of his 
dress were strictly oriental. He wore a crimson 
jubbah, much faded, and under it a striped silk 
antari, somewhat discoloured with snuff, and bear- 
ing marks on its ample front of having been present 
at many a rich repast. His hair was powdered, 
and fastened behind in an immense club, well 
imbued with pomatum ; while his consular dignity 
was denoted by a cocked hat with a very broad 
gold lace, his whole appearance, as it has been re- 



264 



marked^ forming a compound of the Turkish Aga, 
the French postillion, and the English beadle. He 
seemed however to be a friendly man, and invited 
us to lodge at his house during our stay. 

After the miserable mud cottages of Egypt, 
Jaffa appears a neat and comfortable town. The 
houses are built of stone, and most of them are 
surmounted by cupolas. It appears to have been 
almost entirely rebuilt within a few years ; and since 
the French invasion, the fortifications, which con- 
sist of a wall all round, and a fosse towards the land 
side, have been put into good repair. The situa- 
tion is very agreeable ; as it stands on an eminence, 
overlooking the sea on one side, and a fertile plain 
on the other. Being the nearest port both to Je- 
rusalem and to Damietta, it is a considerable tho- 
roughfare for pilgrims, and an emporium for the 
rice of the Delta. It is remarkable for its excel- 
lent gardens ; and amidst a profusion of other fruit, 
its water-melons are so renowned for their size and 
flavour, that they are sent as welcome presents even 
to Constantinople. The town, with the surround- 
ing district, is a dependence of the Pashalik of 
Acre ; but it was for many years under the uncon- 
trolled sway of Mahomet Aga, whose vigorous 
government produced general order and tran- 
quillity in the neighbourhood, and caused the 
name of AbouNabout # , by which he was coin- 

* Abou, or father, in Arabic phraseology is a term of very fre- 
quent, and to an European ear, sometimes of very whimsical 



265 



monly known, to be dreaded throughout all the 
country from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea. 
The intrigues of his enemies at Acre had lately 
occasioned his expulsion, and he had retired into 
Egypt, and placed himself under the protection of 
Mahomet Ali. 

Jaffa or Joppa has been the scene of events re- 
corded in fabulous, in profane, and in sacred hi- 
story. The vision of St. Peter is that perhaps with 
which it is most generally connected; and a sub- 
terraneous apartment is still shown as having been 
the residence of Cornelius. At a later period it 
has been remarkable for those tragical scenes which 
have been supposed to cast a deep shade over the 
earlier career of the most distinguished individual 
of modern times. The information which I re- 
ceived on the spot, tended to confirm the accounts 
which he has himself given of those transactions : 
and now that mortality has in some degree re- 
moved the clouds of terror and hatred through 
which we were once accustomed to view his cha- 
racter, we may admit that the prisoners who were 

application. Thus, from the strictness of his police, Mahomet 
Aga obtained the nickname of Abou Nabout, or " the father of 
the stick." When I put on the Turkish dress, and relinquished 
the use of the razor, I was soon distinguished from other Eng- 
lish travellers, by the title of Abou Dakn, or " the father of the 
beard." A very fat man is called Abou Butney, or " the father 
of the belly 5 " and a double-barrelled gun, a weapon to which the 
Arabs have a great antipathy, is styled not less significantly Abou 
Butnein, or " the father of two bellies." 



266 



massacred being found in arms after having been 
once liberated on their parole, were by the laws of 
war placed at the captors disposal; and that among 
the sick in the hospitals, there were few probably 
who, had the choice been offered them, would not 
have preferred the gentle " quietus" of an opium 
draught to the tender mercies of a Turkish con- 
queror. 

We left Jaffa on the evening of the 13th of Sep- 
tember ; and after four hours ride through a plea- 
sant country, arrived at Ramla, whose name is 
evidently corrupted from that of Ramah, which 
seems to have been common to many towns in 
Judaea. We halted at the convent of the Terra 
Santa, a large substantial building, capable of 
lodging thirty or forty persons, and which at the 
season of the pilgrimage is in general fully occu- 
pied. Its only tenants at present were two old 
friars, with venerable white beards, who received 
us with great hospitality. 

On the following morning we applied to the 
commander of the Turkish garrison stationed here, 
for an escort ; but he told us, that since the expul- 
sion of Mahomet Aga, and the death of Suleyman 
Pasha, the reins of government throughout the 
Pashalik of Acre had been so much relaxed, that 
the Arab tribes were beginning to make incur- 
sions on the frontiers, and that he could not ven- 
ture to weaken his force by any detachments. He 
offered us a passport, addressed to the Shekh of 



267 



the tribe which occupies the mountains between 
Ramla and Jerusalem ; but we did not choose to 
trust ourselves, on the faith of such a document only, 
to this chieftain, whose name Abou Gosh^ or the 
(C father of lies," was of itself enough to excite 
suspicion ; and we therefore determined to dispatch 
a messenger to himself, requesting that he would 
give us a safe-conduct, and send us an escort of his 
own people. 

During our stay at Ramla the heat in the day- 
time was intense; but one evening we strolled out 
through a thick grove of Nopals * to a neighbour- 
ing mosque, formerly the church of the convent of 
the Forty Martyrs. Attached to this is a lofty 
tower, built in what we should call the Saxon style 
of architecture, from the top of which we had a 
view over the long and narrow plain, the Philistia 
of holy writ, which intervenes between the moun- 
tains of Judaea and the sea, and stretches on the 
south to Ascalon and Gaza, where it terminates 
in the sands of the desert. It is fertile and well 
cultivated, interspersed with numerous villages, 
and interesting from historical recollections. Here 
the Israelites contended with their inveterate ene- 
mies, and here in after-times the Crusaders en- 
countered the Saracens. 

* The Nopal, or prickly pear, is very abundant in this plain. 
The roads are frequently edged with it for long distances, and it 
sometimes grows to a very great size. I saw some stems as thick 
as the body of a common-sized man. 



268 



On the evening of the 15th our messenger re- 
turned^ accompanied by two mounted Arab guides ; 
and early on the following morning we set out on our 
journey. We halted at a little village at the foot of 
the mountains j where we were joined by three or four 
more ragged horsemen, and afterwards proceeded 
up a deep ravine, covered on each side with shrubs 
and stunted trees. The track was extremely rough 
and difficult ; and the miserable horse which I had 
hired at Ramla, stumbling at every step, one of 
the Arabs very civilly offered me the mare which 
he rode, a lean half-starved-looking animal, which 
did not promise to be much better than my own. 
In spite, however, of her appearance I found her 
to be very swift, easy, and sure-footed, galloping 
among the slippery pebbles and fragments of rock 
as if it had been on level ground. On quitting 
this romantic pass, we entered on an upland coun- 
try, broken into round hills and hollows, very 
stony, and thinly scattered with olive trees ; and 
soon arrived at a little village, where are the re- 
mains of a very large and handsome Christian 
church, now converted into a shed for oxen. 
Among the ruins of this venerable building we 
found Abou Gosh, surrounded by his sons and 
brothers, handsomely dressed, and looking rather 
like a patriarch than a leader of banditti. He ex- 
pressed great satisfaction at seeing us, told us that 
he considered the English to be his brothers, and 
pointed significantly to the white muslin turban 



269 



which he wore on his head, and the telescope 
which lay beside him, both of which he told us 
had been given him by travellers of that nation. 
The hint, however, was lost upon us, as we had 
not any thing in our baggage which we thought 
worthy of his acceptance; and after partaking of 
some bread, grapes, and coffee, we took our leave. 
The road as we advanced became more rough and 
stony, and the appearance of the country more 
desolate than before, till we at length descended 
into a valley, where a spring of water had pro- 
duced some fertility. We halted in an orchard, 
and the peasants brought us some very good 
peaches and pomegranates. From thence we 
ascended another steep ravine, which opened on 
a barren heath, and we soon saw Jerusalem at a 
little distance before us. The first view of the 
holy city when approaching it in this direction is 
very striking, from the extreme solitude and deso- 
lation which surround it. The rocky plain at the 
edge of which it stands is not enlivened by a single 
habitation, and its lofty gray Saracenic walls har- 
monize with the wildness of the scene. 

We entered by the western gate, and a few nar- 
row streets soon brought us to the convent of the 
Terra Santa, where travellers generally lodge ; a 
large building, occupying almost exclusively the 
north-western angle of the city. Like most of 
the oriental monasteries, it is a place of strength; 
and we had to pass through several dark vaulted 



270 

passages and iron gates before we arrived at the 
inner court, where we were received by the Padre 
Forestiere, or Friar, whose office it is to take 
charge of pilgrims and sojourners. As soon as 
the usual salutations had passed, w T e availed our- 
selves of the little daylight that remained, to walk 
out on the terraced roof of the convent, the view 
from which is singularly impressive. To the west- 
ward we looked back on the rugged hills which 
we had passed over in our day's journey; to the 
south, just without the walls, a slight eminence 
crowned with a small mosque is supposed to mark 
the situation of Mount Sion, which slopes down 
again on the opposite side into the deep valley 
of Hinnom. On a gentle declivity, bounded on 
the westward by the valley of Jehoshaphat and the 
brook Kedron, lies the whole of the modern town : 
the most remarkable objects in which are the church 
of the Holy Sepulchre, not far removed from the 
walls of the convent; and the mosque of the Kaliph 
Omar, the most ancient and most sacred of the 
Mahometan churches, whose spacious courts and 
ample dome occupy a large platform, the traditional 
site of the Jewish Temple. On the opposite side of 
the valley of Jehoshaphat, the Mount of Olives rises, 
still covered with the trees from which it derives its 
name; some of them of such extraordinary size, as 
almost to countenance the popular belief that they 
are the same which were growing in the garden of 
Gethsemane at the time of the Passion. More to 



271 



the southward are seen the barren and desolate 
mountains where David sought refuge from the 
pursuit of his jealous sovereign ; and the interval 
between them and the Mount of Olives opens a 
view of the Dead Sea, and the abrupt rocks which 
bound its eastern shores. At sunset we retired to 
the dark and gloomy dormitory, which for one 
hundred and fifty years has been appropriated to 
those who come to visit the holy place : a few 
chairs, tables, and bedsteads of the most ordinary 
kind are its only furniture ; but the names carved 
on the doors, the beams, and the window-shutters, 
afford a curious record of the numerous travellers, 
chiefly Englishmen, who have been its inmates, 
from Humphry Edwin, in 1699, to William Au- 
stin, in 1816. 

As the Friars of the Terra Santa must often be 
mentioned in a tour through the Holy Land, it 
may be as well to give some account of them at its 
commencement. They are the peaceful successors 
of those military orders, which for two centuries 
were devoted to the protection of the Holy Sepul- 
chre. After the final expulsion of these latter, the 
different Mahometan Governments, which in rapid 
succession occupied Palestine, found it their in- 
terest to afford some facilities to the numerous pil- 
grims who, in the dark ages, frequented the holy 
shrine, and by treaties with the different Christian 
states they granted certain immunities to the Fran- 
ciscan Friars, who claimed a prescriptive right to 



272 



be its guardians. Those members of the Order 
who are employed in this service, enjoy certain 
peculiar privileges, and form an almost distinct 
class under the title of Friars of the Terra Santa. 
Till the Reformation, their ranks were filled from 
all the Christian countries in Europe ; but after 
that event, and when the spirit of devotion among 
the northern Catholics began to decline, they were 
almost exclusively supplied from the southern states, 
and the higher offices were in turn filled by French- 
men, Italians, and Spaniards. Each convent has a 
" superior," who directs the spiritual, and a " pro- 
curator," who manages the temporal affairs, and 
these are chosen every two years from among the 
most able members of the Order. 

The piety of almost all the princes of Europe, as 
well as the liberality of their subjects in former 
times, contributed annually large sums to the sup- 
port of these ecclesiastics, and to the building and 
establishment of the convents in which they re- 
side; but of late years, the funds arising from 
these sources have been greatly reduced. The re- 
volution in France completely cut off all the sup- 
plies, both of men and money, which had been 
drawn from that country ; and for a long time, 
Spain and Portugal were the only contributors. 
On looking over the long list of benefactors, for 
the repose of whose souls almost daily masses are 
celebrated at Jerusalem, I found that a very large 
proportion of them were inhabitants of the South 



273 



American colonies of those two nations, and espe- 
cially of Brazil. A ship arrives every year at Jaffa 
freighted with donations, which consist partly of 
specie, partly of jewels, plate, and rich clothes for 
the service of the altar ; and partly of baccald, or 
salt-fish, — a more humble, but perhaps not less ser- 
viceable article to an order of men whose fasts are 
so frequent as those of the Franciscans. The esti- 
mated value of this cargo for the year that I was 
in Syria, was said to be nearly a hundred thousand 
dollars from Spain and Portugal, besides a small 
sum sent from Naples, as an earnest of the reviving 
piety of that kingdom under the auspices of a le- 
gitimate government. These sums, large as they 
may appear, are not considered at all adequate to 
keep up the establishment in its original splendour : 
several of the convents are shut up, and none of 
them contain their full complement of friars, Be- 
sides the current expenses, large sums are conti- 
nually required to satisfy the rapacity of the Turks. 
Independent of the annual tribute paid to the 
Porte, the Pasha of Damascus and his agent the 
Motsellim of Jerusalem derive a considerable reve- 
nue from granting permissions to repair the con- 
vents, and from various other exactions, for which 
a Turk is never at a loss to find a pretext. The 
governor of Jaffa, besides imposing a tax of so 
much per head on every pilgrim and friar who 
comes or departs, must be paid for the liberty of 
landing the treasure ; and if Abou Gosh did not 



T 



274 



receive a handsome hacsheesh, it would be vain to 
expect that the ark should pass untouched through 
the borders of the Philistines. The Latin fathers, 
too, have to contend with formidable rivals in the 
Greek schismatics, who previously to the late re- 
volution were rapidly increasing in wealth and 
power, and who, not contented with the liberty of 
performing their heretical rites in the chapel of 
the Holy Sepulchre, pretended to the exclusive pos- 
session of it, and sometimes attempted to assert 
their pretensions by force. Maundrell tells us, that 
in his time it was not unusual for the contending 
parties " to proceed to blows and wounds even at 
the very door of the sepulchre, mingling their own 
blood with the sacrifices ;" and a similar scene 
took place the year before I was there, when the 
Latin priests during the performance of some part 
of the ceremonies of the Easter week were furi- 
ously assaulted by the Greeks, and some of them 
wounded in the affray. The Turks are not slow to 
profit by these dissensions ; and by now favouring 
one party, and now the other, succeed in draining 
the pockets of both by fines and bribes. 

The principal seat of the order of the Terra Santa 
is Jerusalem ; but their establishments are spread 
throughout Palestine and Syria, and they have 
several convents in Egypt ; for in their original in- 
stitution, besides being guardians of the Holy Se- 
pulchre, they were considered as missionaries to 
heretics and infidels. But the bigotry which must 



275 



necessarily prevail in all countries where religious 
differences involve political degradation, has ren- 
dered this part of their duty so hopeless, that it has 
become a sinecure, and I never heard of their even 
attempting the conversion of either Greek or Ma- 
hometan. They are also curates of the Latin 
churches ; but in the execution of this office they 
do not gain much good-will. Since the diminu- 
tion of their external resources, they are obliged to 
make large drafts on the liberality of their flocks, 
who pay unwillingly for the privilege of exercising 
their religion in the conventual churches ; and the 
right which, as confessors, they assume, of enter- 
ing at pleasure into the women's apartments, ex- 
poses the Oriental Christian to the sneers of his 
Mahometan neighbour, who closes the door of 
his harem against every male intruder whose dis- 
cretion is guaranteed by the sacredness of his 
character only. — But whatever may be the spiri- 
tual remissness or local unpopularity of the order, 
a traveller, and particularly one who travels alone, 
cannot but view it with feelings of respect and gra- 
titude; and when after days passed among barbarous 
tribes, whose language is unintelligible to him, after 
being lodged on the bare ground or in some mi- 
serable hovel, and fed with the coarsest fare, he at 
length arrives at a convent, and finds a cordial re- 
ception, a clean and comfortable cell, a well-sup- 
plied refectory, and some jolly friars for his com- 
panions, — he will be disposed to think that super- 

T 2 



276 



stition would have done little harm in the world, 
had all her institutions been like those in the Holy 
Land. 

The superior of the order, who is dignified with 
the title of Heverendissimo (most reverend), while 
the superiors of convents are contented with the 
more humble style of Molto Reverendo (very reve- 
rend,) — -was this year a Maltese. He was absent; — 
a circumstance which we regretted, as we were told 
that he was a very agreeable man, and always paid 
great attention to his English fellow-subjects. On 
the morning after our arrival we paid a visit of 
ceremony to the Vicario and the Procuratore, the 
two officers next in rank, both of them Spaniards ; 
the former a good-natured laughing little person, — 
the latter well-stocked both with national and official 
hauteur. We then went to smoke our pipe with the 
Motsellim, and these customary preliminaries being 
concluded, we were left to pursue our walks and 
survey the curiosities of the place. We were con- 
ducted by the dragoman of the convent, a very im- 
portant personage, who makes a handsome income 
by acting as cicerone, and performing other services 
for travellers. 

Jerusalem is situated on rather a steep descent 
facing the south-east, and is surrounded by very 
strong walls, built probably since the period of the 
Crusades, and still in perfect repair. The attempts 
of travellers and antiquaries to reconcile its present 
position with the descriptions of history, have not 



277 



been very successful ; and we look in vain within 
the circuit of the modern city, for the " duos colles 
immensum editos which were the distinguishing 
features of the ancient. One of these lofty hills 
must have been obliterated by the accumulation 
of ruins in the intervening valley, or the site of the 
place must have been changed since the reign of 
Vespasian. The large space within the walls is only 
partially occupied by houses, and the meanness of 
these indicates the general poverty of the inhabi- 
tants. Besides the convent of the Terra Santa, the 
Greeks and Armenians have each a similar establish- 
ment, and the members of those churches are sup- 
posed to be now more numerous at Jerusalem than 
the Catholics. The number of Jews assembled 
there has of late years been very much increased 
by emigrants from distant countries, drawn together 
by the expectation of the advent of their Messiah ; 
but they are almost all of the poorer classes. The 
richer individuals of that nation are, I believe, ge- 
nerally disposed to think, that they have already 

* Tacitus, Hist. v. 1 1 . — The commonly received topography of 
Jerusalem, though supported by the authority of D'Anville, will not 
stand the test of actual observation : and on the other hand, the 
theory which Dr. Clarke formed during his short visit, though 
stamped with his usual ingenuity, will probably be thought too 
violent a departure from local tradition. He supposes the deep 
hollow now called the valley of Ben Hinnom, to have been that 
which separated the two hills ; and discovers the lost Mount Sion 
in an eminence to the south of it, now called the Mountain of 
Offence. 



278 



found the land of promise, and have no wish to 
exchange it for the barren hills of Judaea. The Ma- 
hometans form, perhaps, a third part of the whole 
population : the city is a dependency of the Pashalik 
of Damascus, and is governed by a Motsellim. 

The regular survey which, in compliance with 
general custom, we made of the different holy 
places, occupied four days of almost constant in- 
dustry. It was so tedious, and I may add so un- 
satisfactory, that I had not patience left to write any 
account of it ; and indeed I could have done little 
more than copy the words of Maundrell, who in a 
pocket volume has given us as much accurate in- 
formation and original remark, as would serve for 
the ground-work of at least one modern quarto. 
The host of minor antiquities which he enumerates ; 
such, for example, as the houses of Annas and 
Caiaphas, the palace of Pilate, the window of the 
" Ecce Homo," the stations of the " Via dolorosa," 
and a hundred others, — are palpably apocryphal ; 
and even the sites of Mount Calvary and of the holy 
sepulchre depend for their authenticity on the al- 
most imperceptible thread of tradition to be traced 
through the dark interval between the final de- 
struction of Jerusalem by Adrian, and the " Inven- 
tion" of the cross by St. Helena. 

But even supposing them the exact spots which 
they pretend to be, the zeal of ecclesiastics and 
the liberality of benefactors has so changed their 
original appearance, by a load of injudicious orna- 



279 



ment, that they fail to awaken any recollections 
of antiquity. " Those natural forms," as Sandys 
quaintly expresses it, " are utterly deformed, which 
would have better satisfied the beholder, and too 
much regard has made them less regardable." Walls 
encrusted with porphyry and jasper, and altars 
blazing with gold and jewels, meet the eye at every 
turn : a silver socket denotes the spot where the 
cross was planted; and the miraculous fissure of the 
rock is seen dimly through a narrow opening in a 
marble pavement. These misplaced decorations, 
however much they may dazzle the imagination 
of a southern Christian, will tend rather to dis- 
gust than to edify a less credulous believer, and will 
confirm, rather than remove, the doubts which he 
may entertain as to the reality of the places them- 
selves. " Ejifin" says Chateaubriand, " s'il y a quel- 
que chose de prouve sur la terre, cest la verite des 
traditions Chretiennes a Jerusalem? And in this 
instance at least, he will not be very far from the 
truth who shall adopt an opinion exactly opposed 
to that of the eloquent Frenchman. 

September 23rd. — We set out from Jerusalem in 
the evening, and after crossing the valley of Hinnom 
passed over a high plain to the Greek convent of 
St. Elias, from whence we saw at a distance the 
little town of Bethlehem, situated on the brow of a 
hill. The road thither led us through a hollow way 
supposed to be the valley of Rephaim* ; and after 
* See 2 Samuel, v. 22. 



280 



about two hours ride we arrived at the convent,, a 
lofty and massive building, which towers like a 
fortress over the surrounding houses. The friars 
received us very hospitably, and we were com- 
fortably lodged for the night in a large saloon, 
appropriated to the use of strangers, The next 
morning we went into the conventual church, 
which has a wide and lofty nave, supported by four 
rows of columns : underneath it is the cave of 
the Nativity, the descent to which is so steep and 
narrow that it is difficult to conceive how it ever 
could have been used as a stable. It is now pro- 
fusely enriched with shrines and altars, and a ra- 
diated piece of jaune antique inlaid on the marble 
floor, denotes the exact spot over which the star 
rested. The principal grotto is surrounded by se- 
veral smaller ones, now converted into chapels, 
which are dedicated to St. Joseph, St. Eusebius, 
the Holy Innocents, and other saints. One alone, 
called the School of St. Jerome, remains in its native 
rudeness. It is said to be the place in which that 
saint translated the Scriptures, and a more gloomy 
retreat can scarcely be conceived. 

The town consists of one street and a number of 
scattered houses, and the population is estimated at 
about two thousand, almost all Catholics. The wo- 
men are generally well-looking, and the men a fine 
athletic race. Some of them are employed in the 
manufacture of chaplets, and images of the Virgin 
and saints carved in mother-of-pearl, which, after 



281 



having received benediction at the altar of the Holy 
Sepulchre, are supposed to possess great virtue, and 
are circulated in vast quantities throughout Chris- 
tendom. Most of the inhabitants, however, follow 
the pastoral life, and feed their flocks on the sur- 
rounding hills. A predatory warfare is almost con- 
tinually kept up between them and the Arabs of 
Abou Gosh, and many a gallant shepherd still goes 
down from Bethlehem to encounter the unbelievers 
in the valley of Elah*. 

About the middle of the day we set out on our 
way to Hebron ; and after riding for about an hour, 
came to three very large tanks or reservoirs placed 
one above the other on a gentle slope between two 
hills. They are cut out of the solid rock, and from 
their size and depth must have been works of very 
great labour. They were, no doubt, intended for the 
supply of Jerusalem ; and some remains of aque- 
ducts are still to be seen on the road to that city : — 
of their date nothing is known ; but, like all other 
great monuments of antiquity in Syria and Palestine, 
the popular belief attributes them to Solomon. The 
spring from which they are supplied, and a few 
straggling olive-trees on the side of the hill, are 
supposed to be the " sealed fountain," and " the in- 
closed gardens," to which he compares his spouse -f-; 
and the remains of some vaulted apartments are 
pointed out as having been the residence of the 

* See 1 Samuel, chap. xvii. 

t See Solomon's Song, chap, iv, ver. 12. 



282 



royal concubines, who, if this tradition be true, 
must have been contented with much more humble 
accommodation than would satisfy persons of that 
class in the present day. 

The country had a less wild and barren appear- 
ance as we approached Hebron, which is about six 
hours ride from Bethlehem. It is now called El 
Khalil, and is a large village on the side of a hill, 
with a narrow plain in front of it, beyond which 
rises another range of hills clothed with vineyards 
and olive groves. It has a high reputation for 
sanctity both among the Jews and Mahometans, as 
having been the burial-place of Abraham ; and the 
tomb of the patriarch is shown in a large mosque, 
once a Christian church. It resembles exactly the 
Turbehs, or monuments of the Turkish sultans : 
like them it is decorated with rich shawls, and lamps 
are kept continually burning round it. The po- 
pulation of El Khalil is entirely Mahometan. 

September 25th. — We arrived again at Bethlehem 
in the middle of the day, and returned in the after- 
noon to Jerusalem by a circuitous route, taking in 
our way the wilderness and convent of St. John the 
Baptist. The former is now a cultivated field, thickly 
scattered with olive-trees ; the latter is esteemed the 
handsomest of all the Terra Santa convents. The 
church, which is said to be built on the spot where 
St. John was born, is of very good design. It is 
surmounted by a cupola, and is remarkable for a 
very fine organ and some beautiful Mosaic pave- 



283 



ment. It is comparatively a modern structure, being 
yet unfinished when visited by Maundrell in 1697 ; 
and he tells us, that the expense of building it had 
been at that time so great, that each stone was esti- 
mated to have cost a dollar. — We had now com- 
pleted our survey of all the holy places, which are 
guarded with so much care and kept up at so great 
expense in Jerusalem and its neighbourhood; but 
we agreed, on re-entering the city, that nothing 
during our visit had so forcibly reminded us of 
sacred story as the lepers whom we saw sitting in 
the gate. 

From the accounts which I had heard of the ruins 
at Jerash in the mountains to the eastward of the 
river Jordan, I felt a great curiosity to see them. 
They had been discovered some years before by the 
German Seetzen, but very few European travellers 
had since visited them. Among these was Mr. W. 
Bankes, who recommended to me, as a guide in the 
journey, a Bedouin named Mahomet el Daoudi, 
belonging to a small tribe in the neighbourhood 
of Jerusalem. Soon after my arrival I sent for 
this man, and he undertook to conduct me safely 
to Jerash, and back to Nazareth. As this is not 
an ordinary route, I found it impossible to hire 
horses ; and I therefore purchased one for myself 
and another for my dragoman Giorgio, for both of 
which I paid only the moderate sum of eight hun- 
dred piastres, or about twenty-five pounds. I laid 
aside also my Turkish dress, and arrayed myself 



284 



in the coarse linen shirt and trowsers, the sheepskin 
pelisse, the striped mashlakh, and yellow keiffeh of 
the Bedouins. The Baron agreed to accompany me 
as far as the Dead Sea ; and it was arranged that he 
should afterwards return to Jerusalem, and proceed 
with the heavy baggage which we left there, to 
meet me at Nazareth. I took nothing with me 
except a few light articles which could be carried 
on the horses we rode, and a small stock of dollars 
tied round my waist in a leathern girdle, which had 
once been the companion of Shekh Ibrahim's wan- 
derings, and which had been given me at Cairo by 
his faithful attendant Hadgi Osman. 

We set out from Jerusalem on the 29th Septem- 
ber, attended by one of the Janissaries of the con- 
vent, and by a soldier whom the Motsellim sent 
with us for further security; but who knew nothing 
of the road, spoke little, and was perpetually em- 
ployed either in smoking or in filling his pipe. 
Winding round the southern side of Mount Olivet, 
we soon came to the village of St. Lazarino, the 
supposed site of the ancient Bethany, where the 
house in which the saint and his sisters resided, and 
the tomb from which he was raised, are still ex- 
hibited. Here the Bedouin, who durst not venture 
into Jerusalem, was waiting for us ; and after about 
two hours ride over stony and barren hills, we 
reached a valley, and a small pool of water called 
the Fountain of the Apostles, near to which his tents 
were pitched. Several of his children came out to 



285 



meet us. The eldest of them having on some 
occasion fallen into the hands of the Turks. Mr. 
Bankes had procured his liberation, a service which 
his father said would for ever attach him to the 
English. 

After a short halt we gradually ascended into a 
range of mountains of a peculiar character, and 
bearing strong marks of a volcanic origin. They 
are without the slightest trace of vegetation ; and 
the masses of porous and crumbling rock of which 
they are composed, are piled one upon another with 
fantastic irregularity. The road in some places lay 
through ravines so deep as almost to exclude the 
sun, in others it overhung precipices without any 
other protection than a broken wall. The soft stone 
is hollowed out into caverns, which have been the 
haunt of banditti from the time a when a certain 
man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell 
among thieves," till the present day, when a similar 
misfortune befel one of our own countrymen As 
we were riding along, our guide, who had advanced 
a little before us, suddenly clapped spurs to his 
mare, and dashed out of the road to the entrance 
of one of these caverns. We followed him; and 
found within it the naked corpse of a man re- 
cently murdered, his throat cut across with a deep 
wound. This ghastly object added fresh horror to 

* The late Sir Frederick Henniker, who was desperately 
wounded, and narrowly escaped with his life on this road. — See 
his Tour. 



286 



the desolate scenes around us ; we drew our files 
closer, and hurried on. Our guide told us that it 
was the body of a shepherd who had been killed by 
some robbers the day before : and from the readi- 
ness with which he directed his course to the exact 
spot where it lay, I could not help suspecting 
that he knew more of the transaction than he was 
willing to acknowledge. 

After several hours riding through these wild 
mountains we began to descend, and from a pro- 
jecting brow caught a view over the fertile plains 
of the Jordan. Though at this time of the year 
they were parched and sun -burnt, yet the sight of 
them was refreshing after the stony and barren 
country to which we had been of late accustomed, 
and the leafless hills which we were now passing 
over. On the nearer side of the plain, at the edge 
of a wood, was seen the village of Riha, generally 
supposed to represent the ancient Jericho. The 
Jordan, though low at this season, could be dis- 
cerned at intervals glittering through the brush- 
wood with which its banks are covered ; and beyond 
it were the plains of Moab, and the mountains from 
whence the prophet beheld the promised land. On 
our right the Dead Sea extended its unruffled sur- 
face ; and on the left, in the distance, we saw the 
rich possessions of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and 
Manasseh, bounded by the mountains of Gilead. 

The word Riha, in Arabic means " perfume," and 
the name of Rahab, which in the days of Joshua 



287 



belonged to one of the inhabitants of Jericho, has in 
Hebrew the same signification ; and I believe there 
is no better ground than this slight coincidence, for 
assigning to the modern village the site of the an- 
cient city. But however that may be, the name 
appeared to us extremely ill-applied ; for as we 
approached, we were assailed by the most noi- 
some odour that I ever experienced. Some mur- 
rain or pestilential disease prevailed among the cat- 
tle, and numbers of dead cows and oxen were lying 
by the road-side, half-devoured by kites and jackals. 
The inhabitants were too indolent either to remove 
or bury them ; and the whole air was tainted with 
the effluvia of their putrefying carcases. This nui- 
sance is a frequent accompaniment even of the 
most considerable Turkish towns, the metropolis 
itself not excepted ; but I do not recollect ever to 
have perceived it in so great a degree as on the pre- 
sent occasion. The village consists of a few stone 
huts surrounded by a strong fence made of the 
branches of the nopal. The only substantial build- 
ing is a square tower, probably of the age of the 
Crusades, but which is called the house of Zac- 
chseus. It was now occupied by a Turkish officer, 
who was stationed here with a party of about forty 
horsemen, to repress the incursions of the Be- 
douins. We called upon him immediately on our 
arrival, and presented our buyurdhi, or passport, 
from the governor of Jerusalem ; and afterwards we 
retired to the Manzul, or place appointed for the 



288 



reception of strangers. This is the " guest chamber" 
of the Scriptures ; and there are few Arab villages 
so poor as not to have a room appropriated to this 
purpose, where travellers are lodged and fed at the 
public expense. At Riha it was a large hut open on 
three sides, and covered with a roof of leaves sup- 
ported on poles. As soon as we had taken our 
station there, the natives gathered round us, and 
the Frank dress of the Baron excited some sur- 
prise and merriment among them. The men were 
a fine strong-looking race ; the women were some 
of the ugliest I ever beheld, and their hands and 
arms were dyed with a deep blue up to the 
elbows. Their children, whom they brought to 
present to us, had their heads dressed up with 
little bits of tinsel, and a few beads and feathers ; 
but their bodies were nearly naked, and encrust- 
ed with dirt : we distributed a few paras among 
them, and they went away quite contented. At 
sunset the men assembled and recited their prayers 
with great solemnity; after which they squatted down 
round a fire that was kindled in front of the Man- 
zul, where they remained smoking, talking, and 
telling stories till midnight, to the no small inter- 
ruption of our repose. 

On the following morning at sunrise we set out 
to visit the river Jordan and the Dead Sea. On 
this expedition it is usual to be accompanied by an 
escort; and accordingly, as we passed the Aga's gate, 
ten or fifteen wild-looking cavaliers turned out to 



289 



attend us. From the appearance of their horses, 
arms, and accoutrements, we were not disposed to 
think that they would contribute much to our 
safety; but they afforded us some diversion, as we 
rode along the plain, by different feats of rude horse- 
manship, which ended in two of them being rolled 
in the dust, amid the shouts of their companions. 

In about two hours we arrived at the edge of a 
steep bank, which sloped down to a tract of ground 
considerably lower than the rest of the plain. This 
lower level is a characteristic feature of the plain of 
the Jordan during its whole course. In some places 
it extends for nearly half a mile on each side the 
river ; and in the early periods of history it appears 
to have been occasionally overflowed, though that, 
I believe, now never happens. The drought of 
summer had at present contracted the stream into 
a narrow channel, not more than twenty paces in 
breadth. Its waters were of a milky hue, and rolled 
rapidly along with frequent eddies over a pebbly 
bed, and its banks were lined with birch, poplars, 
and evergreen shrubs, forming a tangled thicket. 
We sat down under the shade of a spreading thorn ; 
and while we breakfasted, some of the more devout 
of our party bathed in the sacred stream. The 
Turks occasionally dashed through the river into 
the wood on the opposite side, fired off their pistols, 
and would have persuaded us on their return that 
they had seen Bedouins lurking there. 

From this spot we directed cur course to the 

u 



290 



north-western side of the lake. The latter part of 
the way was through a glittering sand, distressing 
to our horses by its depth, and to our eyes 
by the strong reflection of the sun. In about 
two hours we arrived at the shore, which at this 
point is nearly level, shelving very gradually into 
the water. The beach is composed entirely of 
round pebbles thickly encrusted with salt ; and it 
is strewed with branches and even trunks of trees, 
brought down by the winter floods, and enveloped 
in a similar coating. 

The lake stretched before us as far as the eye 
could reach, between two ranges of mountains, those 
on the eastern shore rising almost perpendicularly 
from its edge. Its unruffled surface and smooth 
sandy bottom tempted me to bathe in it; and I 
found the water deepen so gradually, that I walked 
for nearly half a mile before it was up to my chin. 
It had a very soft and pleasant feel, and was ex- 
tremely buoyant. At this point, so near to the 
embouchure of the river, its saline particles must be 
much diluted by the fresh water which flows into 
it; we may therefore easily believe that its specific 
gravity at its further extremity may be much greater, 
although we may be permitted to doubt the result 
of the Roman emperor's experiment # . The great 

* " Vespasian coming thither to see it, took men who could not 
swim, and caused their hands to be tied behind them, and cast 
them into the midst thereof ; and all of them came up to the top of 
the water, as if some wind had forced them from the bottom."— 
Josephus, book v. cap. 5. 



291 



quantity of salt and other substances which the 
water contains makes it extremely pungent ; and on 
putting my head under it, I immediately felt a vio- 
lent smarting and irritation in the lips and eyes, 
which I did not get rid of for several hours after- 
wards. Besides its extreme saltness, the water has 
also a remarkably bitter taste, which the salt ex- 
tracted from it still retains, and communicates to 
all the eatables it is mixed with. 

The wildness and desolation of the shores of the 
Dead Sea, the peculiar character of its waters, and 
the generally diffused belief that it was produced by 
a special interference of Providence, have naturally 
given rise to much exaggeration, and have enveloped 
it in a cloud of fable. Like the Grecian Avernus, 
it has been described as sending forth exhalations 
fatal to animal life ; and pilgrims who have wandered 
along its shores, have fancied that they could 

" See the towers of other days 

In the waves beneath them shining." 

But birds have been actually observed to fly over 
it; and if any ruins are to be discovered beneath 
its surface, they are the foundations, probably, of 
buildings more modern by some thousands of 
years than the five cities of the plain. The apples 
of Sodom, on the other hand, which were long 
considered as a mere poetic fiction, have been 
found to have a real existence: I have seen at 
least some specimens, collected on the southern 
shores of the lake by a well-known traveller, of a 

u 2 



292 



fruit which completely answered the description 
given of them. It had externally the appearance of 
an apple, or rather perhaps of a peach; but the thin 
skin instantly broke under the touch, and nothing 
was found within but a small quantity of powder. 

It is an old, and indeed an obvious notion, that the 
Jordan originally flowed into the Red Sea, and that 
its course being suddenly stopped by some great 
convulsion of nature, it formed this basin for itself 
in the plains of Sodom. The fact appears confirmed 
by the researches of Shekh Ibrahim, who traced the 
ancient channel from the southern extremity of the 
lake to Akaba, the ancient Ezion Geber, at the 
head of the eastern branch of the Red Sea ; and it 
has been conjectured, with great appearance of pro- 
bability, that the effect was produced by a vast tor- 
rent of lava or other volcanic matter pouring itself 
into the bed of the river, and forming a dam which 
arrested the further progress of the stream. 

Our adventures to-day were very near having a 
tragical conclusion. At breakfast the servants had 
incautiously distributed some aqua vitse among the 
soldiers, who not being accustomed to such strong 
potations, soon became noisy and tumultuous. While 
I was bathing in the lake, they amused themselves 
by firing ball cartridges over my head ; and one of 
them afterwards having rode a great way into the 
water, his horse fell with him, in returning over 
some slippery stones which are intermixed with the 
sand, and he was very near being suffocated before 



293 



he could disentangle himself from the stirrup ; his 
companions all the while looking on with the ut- 
most sang froid, and not offering him the least as- 
sistance. He escaped drowning ; but was completely 
drenched and sobered, and not in a very fit humour 
to enjoy the jokes which the other soldiers passed 
upon him as we returned home. A general affray 
was the consequence ; in which several pistols were 
fired, and one man was wounded with a sabre : the 
real danger of our excursion thus originating with 
the men who were sent to protect us, and to whom 
we were obliged to pay a bacsheesh, of forty rubiehs, 
or nearly four pounds. 

It was my intention to have crossed the river a 
little above Jericho, and to have gone to Jerash by 
the way of Szalt, a large town situated at the foot 
of the mountains ; but my guide Mahomet had heard 
of disturbances in that quarter, which he said would 
make the journey dangerous. He therefore advised 
me to travel up the plain on the western side of the 
river, till we could find some more practicable route ; 
and as I was entirely in his hands, it was of no use 
to make any opposition. 

October 1st. — Early in the morning we leftRiha, 
and at a little distance from the village our party 
divided. Giorgio and the Bedouin remained with 
me, and the Baron returned to Jerusalem with the 
rest of the attendants, after trying in vain to dissuade 
me from what he considered a perilous enterprise. 

We took a more northerly direction near the 



294 



foot of the mountains., and passed several spots of 
ground cultivated by small tribes of Arabs, who 
pitch their tents on the border of the desert, and 
hold a sort of middle character between the fixed 
inhabitants of the villages and the purely pastoral 
Bedouins. About noon we arrived at one of their 
encampments, situated on a rising ground, and com- 
manding a beautiful view over the river and the 
plain. We rode up to the principal tent, and an 
old man came out to greet us. The usual salutation 
of kissing the cheek passed between him and Ma- 
homet : the women brought out from an inner tent 
some mats and carpets for us to sit on ; and in ten 
minutes time the coffee was roasted, pounded, boiled, 
and handed round. It is to the rapidity with which 
these processes are performed that the excellence 
of this refreshing beverage in the East is, in great 
measure, to be attributed. The coffee is roasted in 
a shallow iron ladle, pounded in a mortar of a cylin- 
drical shape, with a pestle made nearly to fit, which 
prevents any of the finer particles from escaping, 
and boiled in " sherbet," that is, water which has 
been suffered to remain upon the grounds since the 
last time of making. 

The shekh of the tribe soon made his appearance, 
and we asked his advice and assistance in the pro- 
secution of our journey. He replied that the Eng- 
lish were the friends of the Arabs, and that it was 
his wish that none of them should suffer any injury; 
for which reason he strongly dissuaded us from at- 



295 



tempting to pass through Szalt, and indeed from 
going at all into the mountains on the other side 
of the Ghor*. On cross-examining him, however, 
as to the state of affairs there, I soon found that he 
either could not, or would not, give us any accurate 
information, and I therefore requested him to send 
a guide with us to the next friendly encampment, 
which he consented to do ; but previously to our 
departure he set before us some thin wheaten cakes, 
baked according to ancient custom "on the hearth -f~," 
and some grape juice boiled to a thick consistence, 
and called honey, though it much more resembled 
treacle in colour and taste. 

We had not gone far from the camp before the 
dragoman found out that the ramrod of his gun 
had been stolen, — a circumstance easily to be 
accounted for by the propensity to thieving of 
which the Arabs, in the midst of their hospitality, 
can never entirely divest themselves. The fears of 
Giorgio, however, made him view it in a more 
serious light. He began to tell me of various 
significant looks and speeches which had passed 
amongst the people in the tent, and which made 
him suspect that they had a design to rob and 
murder us : he was now, he said, fully convinced 
that it was for that purpose they had attempted to 
render his fire-arms useless ; and he concluded by 
earnestly intreating me to return as quickly as pos- 

* The Arabic name for a plain or extended valley, 
t Genesis xviii. 6. 



296 



sible to Jerusalem. This, however, I was resolved 
not to do ; and I sent him back immediately to the 
ten^ where he had no difficulty in recovering the lost 
property. 

There was, I confess, something rather appalling 
in the sight of the immense plains which we were 
about to traverse at the mercy of two guides, who 
might, possibly, be treacherous. The ground was 
covered with a thick brushwood, through which our 
horses advanced with difficulty ; and as far as the 
eye could reach, we could not discover the trace of 
a single habitation ; except that before us we saw a 
thick cloud of smoke rising from the plain, which, 
our guide told us, indicated that some village had 
just been burnt by a hostile tribe of Bedouins. On 
a nearer approach, however, it turned out to be 
only the long grass which had caught fire, — an ac- 
cident which frequently occurs in the Ghor, and 
sometimes produces very extensive devastation. 
About sunset we passed under a ridge of rocky 
hills extending from the mountains nearly to the 
river, and hollowed out into large natural caverns ; 
and soon afterwards we came to a tract of high 
ground intersected by very deep glens and ravines, 
through which we should with difficulty have found 
our way if the moon had not lent us her assistance. 

With the exception of the short halt at the Arab 
tent, we had been riding, without intermission, from 
four o'clock in the morning;, and our horses and 
ourselves were nearly exhausted with fatigue and 



297 



hunger, when at about an hour before midnight a 
furious barking of dogs announced our approach 
to an encampment. We soon arrived, and were 
welcomed with the greatest kindness and cordiality, 
and conducted to a large tent, where the principal 
persons of the tribe were assembled. After the 
ceremony of coffee, I wrapped myself up in my 
mashlakh and lay down to sleep ; but though 
fatigue for awhile got the better of hunger, I was 
not sorry when Giorgio waked me, and I saw placed 
before us a bowl of ample dimensions heaped up 
with boiled rice, round which ten or twelve of our 
hosts were seated. But alas ! on tasting the mess 
I found, to my great disappointment, that it was 
seasoned with oil of so bad a quality, that, in spite 
of the long fast I had endured, and the courtesy 
which I was desirous of showing to these hospitable 
Arabs, I could scarcely swallow any of it; while 
they, on the contrary, crammed down large hand- 
fuls with the greatest satisfaction. After supper a 
musical instrument was introduced, a sort of man- 
dolin with only one string, which was played upon 
with a bow of one string also. It was handed 
round, and several of the company exercised their 
skill, accompanying the music with their voice. 
Mahomet afterwards began telling a story, which 
soon had the beneficial effect of lulling me to sleep. 
The Arabs of this camp only repeated the vague 
rumours which we had already heard, of wars and 
disturbances in the opposite mountains. They told 



298 



us > however, that there was a powerful shekh en- 
camped at a little distance on the other side of the 
river, who could at any rate inform us of the real 
state of the country, and could perhaps conduct us 
safely to Jerash. At day-break therefore we set 
out provided with a fresh guide, and descending the 
hills soon arrived in the lower plain of the Jordan, 
which was here so completely covered with thick 
underwood, that the camp we were going to was 
quite concealed from view, and we were not aware 
of our approach to it till we saw a few blood mares 
picketed in the shade, and some herds of ragged 
and puny cattle grazing at large in grass so lux- 
uriant, that it rose above their heads. We soon 
arrived at an open space surrounded by black tents, 
to the largest of which we directed our course ; and 
it being about noon, found, as usual, the chiefs of 
the tribe assembled there. The shekh himself was 
not present, but we were welcomed by a venerable 
looking old man, who seemed to be treated with 
great respect and deference by all the others. We 
had not been long in the tent, before two strangers 
of very imposing appearance arrived ; they were 
men of lofty stature, and extremely handsome fea- 
tures, their complexions of the richest olive hue 
which a southern sun could bestow, and their teeth 
of sparkling whiteness ; their hair hung down in 
glossy black ringlets from under their light yellow 
keiifeh, and their dark eyes seemed lighted up by 
some strong passion. They returned in a distant 



299 



and haughty manner the salaam of the company; 
and placing themselves side by side at the upper 
end of the tent, received in silence the pipes and 
coffee which were handed to them. I founds on 
inquiry, that they were ambassadors from a neigh- 
bouring tribe, who came to demand compensation 
for some encroachment on their pasturage and ab- 
duction of their cattle, which they imputed to our 
hosts. When the shekh arrived, they began a con- 
versation which soon grew very animated, and Ma- 
homet desired me to withdraw to a neighbouring 
tent, as they would not like the presence of stran- 
gers while they were discussing their affairs. We 
derived some advantage from the arrival of these 
envoys, as, instead of the oiled rice of the pre- 
ceding evening, we were regaled with a dish of ex- 
cellent pillaff and part of a kid, which had been pre- 
pared for their entertainment ; but which, as they 
could not procure satisfaction for their claims, 
they went away without deigning to taste. After 
they were gone, the shekh came to our tent, and 
told us that he would conduct us to Jerash, but 
that in the present state of the country he could 
not answer for our safety, unless we were attended 
by an escort of two hundred men. That number 
of his tribe, he said, would be willing to undertake 
the journey, but they must be liberally rewarded; 
and should any skirmish take place, and any lives be 
lost, I must agree to pay the "price of the blood." 
These proposals led so obviously to bacsheesh, that 



300 



I immediately rejected them; and thanking the 
shekh for his hospitality and good intentions took 
my leave. On going away he recommended me to 
halt for the night with a detachment of his tribe, 
stationed on the other side of the river, which we 
accordingly re-crossed; and at an hour's ride from 
the western hank we found a small camp placed in 
a most delightful situation. The valley which we 
had just quitted, covered with verdure and spotted 
with black tents, lay below us ; beyond was a vast 
plain varied with groves of olive-trees, over which 
rose the mountains of Gilead, crowned by the 
castle of Rabboth. As soon as I had taken my seat 
on a carpet in one of the tents, I attempted to make 
a sketch of the landscape, but Mahomet presently 
gave me a hint to desist. To be seen writing or 
drawing, between which they make no distinction, 
calling both " muktoob," excites great jealousy and 
suspicion among the Arabs. They immediately con- 
clude that you are a magician ; and in consequence 
of this prejudice a traveller must often content him- 
self with taking, by stealth, some short and unsatis- 
factory notes of what he sees. 

A stranger, who like ourselves came to take up 
his night's lodging at this encampment, told me 
that he well knew the roads and the people in the 
mountains, and could engage to conduct me with- 
out any risk to Jerash. I was strongly inclined to 
believe what he said ; but as I had no security for 
his fidelity, I thought it scarcely prudent to accept 



301 



his offer : I perceived too that my guide Mahomet 
had now proceeded nearly as far as his knowledge 
of the country extended, and that he was himself 
afraid of the Arabs of Ben-i-$akr, a powerful tribe, 
who a few years ago emigrated from the interior of 
the desert, and established themselves in the plains 
eastward of the Jordan, and who were now in an 
almost constant state of hostility with the smaller 
tribes before settled in that fertile district. I de- 
termined therefore, though reluctantly, to give up, 
for the present at least, the principal object of this 
expedition, and passing round by the Lake of Ti- 
berias to rejoin my companion at Nazareth. 

October 3rd. — We travelled for some distance 
along the foot of the mountains, which at this point 
approached near to the river, but which at length sud- 
denly retired to the westward, and opened before us 
an extensive plain watered with numerous streams 
and teeming with vegetation. The luxuriant grass 
was varied with occasional patches of Indian corn, 
and interspersed with oleanders and other shrubs ; 
and here and there a solitary palm-tree reminded us 
of more southern climates. 

At the northern extremity of this plain, which it 
took us about three hours to cross, is situated 
Bisan, a name in which we recognize the Bethsan 
of the Scriptures. Under the Romans it was called 
Scythopolis, and was the most considerable of the 
ten cities from which the province of the Decapolis 
took its name. It stands on the banks of a rapid 



302 



stream which flows into the river, and is crossed 
by a bridge of Roman workmanship still in very 
good preservation. Some very solid walls placed 
on a high round hill mark the site of the ancient 
acropolis ; and on the opposite side of the stream are 
the remains of a small theatre. A very large space 
of ground is covered with fragments of stone and 
marble, and a few columns of small dimensions are 
still standing. The modern Bisan consists of a few 
huts built of rough stones, and inhabited by a scanty 
and miserable population, always in fear of the in- 
cursions of the Bedouins, whose large encampments 
are stretched out before their eyes in the plains be- 
low. The direct road to the Lake of Tiberias lay 
along the plain ; but both Mahomet and the guide 
whom we hired at Bisan were so much in dread of 
the ferocious Ben-i-Sakr, that they led us by an 
intricate path among the hills, winding round knolls 
or diving into glens, to conceal us from observation, 
till about two hours after sunset the guide confessed 
that he had lost his way. We soon found ourselves 
on a high open down, commanding an extensive 
view, and where by the bright moonlight we could 
see at a distance any one who might approach us. 
I determined therefore to halt ; and being very much 
tired I slept profoundly for two or three hours on the 
turf, under the shade of a solitary thorn bush, the at- 
tendants taking it by turns to watch. As soon as the 
hum of voices in the plains below had ceased, and 
the dreaded Bedouins were supposed to have retired 



303 



to rest in their tents, we set forth again in quest of a 
little village in the mountains, where our guide told 
us he had some friends, and which we found, after 
wandering about for two hours. We were immedi- 
ately greeted by twenty or thirty dogs rushing out 
upon us in full cry, and the chorus was filled up by 
the discordant shrieks of women and children, who 
from our arriving at such an unseasonable hour 
took us for a party of Bedouins coming to attack 
their village. I was apprehensive that we should 
be fired upon ; but our guide succeeded in making 
himself known, and gained admission for us into 
one of the huts, where we lighted a fire, boiled our 
coffee, and procured some chaff for our horses, 
which had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours. 
When we left the cottage at day-break, a beautiful 
view presented itself. The Lake of Tiberias, so in- 
teresting from its historical associations, lay at our 
feet ; the river, emerging from it, wound its ser- 
pentine course along a fertile plain, and the moun- 
tains beyond were tinged with the deep purple hue 
which characterizes the sunrise of southern climates. 
Descending the hills, we soon arrived at the hot 
baths, which are situated at the edge of the lake ; 
and we were glad to plunge our limbs, stiff with 
fatigue and chilled by the night air, into the almost 
scalding water. 

About an hour's ride along the shores of the 
lake conducted us from the baths to Tabaria ; and 
before we arrived there we observed numerous frag- 



304 



ments of stone, and some broken columns, which 
probably indicate the site of the ancient Tiberias. 
The modern town is surrounded by a very strong 
wall flanked with towers, and inclosing a large 
space of ground, only part of which is occupied by 
buildings. We halted at the house of the Greek 
Catholic priest, who received us very kindly. 
His apartment was small, and occupied indiscri- 
minately by wife, children, and domestic animals, — 
but every grievance was forgotten when he placed 
before us a large dish of pillafF, a fowl, and a 
bottle of tolerable wine, which after four days' 
abstinence we found most acceptable. After dinner 
he conducted us to the church, a small vaulted 
building, in the middle of which he pointed out a 
fragment of rock, as the identical stone from which 
St. Peter derived his name : " Super hum lapidem 
sedificabo Ecclesiam meam." The Apostle's net, he 
told us, still hung over the altar in the time of his 
predecessor, but had since disappeared. 

The population of Tabaria is about four thou- 
sand, of which a small part only are Christians. 
The inhabitants are poor ; and being liable to at- 
tacks from the Bedouins, who whenever they are 
at war with the Turks scour the country up to the 
walls, they have no encouragement to industry : 
some patches of Indian corn, and a few stunted olive- 
trees on the sides of the hills, are almost the only 
marks of cultivation : the silence of the streets is 
unbroken by the bustle of commerce, and not a 



305 



boat or a fisherman is now to be found on the Sea 
of Galilee. In the summer months, however, num- 
bers of persons of all ranks, and from every part of 
Syria, flock thither for the benefit of the warm baths. 
A remarkable feature of Tabaria is the Jewish colony 
established there. It is on the shores of this lake 
that the Messiah is expected to appear, and devout 
Jews from almost every country are collected in 
expectation of that event. It is said that they 
compose a fourth part of the population of the 
place ; and under the mild government of Suleyman 
Pasha, whose prime-minister, Malim Haym, was of 
their own persuasion, they enjoyed a perfect free- 
dom, and were exempted from many of the op- 
pressions to which they are elsewhere exposed. 
They live a sort of monastic life ; reside in a parti- 
cular quarter of the town, and the greater part of 
them are entirely devoted to religious exercises. 
Those of the poorer class are partly supported by 
the liberality of their richer neighbours, and partly 
by contributions from their brethren in different 
parts of the world, which are collected by mis- 
sionaries whom they send out for that purpose. 
The most distinguished person amongst them at 
this time was Don Raffaelli Picciotto, a man who had 
enjoyed great reputation and possessed great in- 
fluence throughout Upper Syria. He was long 
Austrian Consul at Aleppo ; and his services there 
met with what to one of his nation was a singular 
reward, — the cross of Maria Theresa. He had re- 



x 



306 



ccntly, however, relinquished to his son his consular 
dignity and extensive commercial affairs, and had 
come to end his days in retirement and devotion in 
this sacred spot. As I had letters of introduction 
to his son at Aleppo, I was desirous to pay him a 
visit ; hut unfortunately it happened to be the an- 
niversary of some great festival among the Jews, and 
the gates of their quarter were strictly closed against 
all strangers. 

We left Tabaria in the evening, attended by a 
guide. Our route led us over an open down to the 
westward of the town, from whence we had a view 
of almost the whole of the lake, which is said by 
Josephus to be twelve miles long and five broad. 
On the eastern side it is skirted by hills of mode- 
rate height, which at its northern extremity rise 
into mountains communicating with the southern 
branches of Lebanon. We deviated a little from 
our course, to visit some insulated rocks pointed 
out as the spot where the miracle of the loaves 
and fishes was performed; and at nightfall reached 
a small village called Lubli, situated on an abrupt 
stony eminence, and surrounded by groves of fig- 
trees and sycamores. We lodged in an open coffee- 
house ; and the wind being very high, I found for 
the first time, after an interval of six months, a 
disagreeable sensation of cold. 

October 6th. — I had given orders to have every 
thing in readiness to set out at day-break ; and was 
therefore much surprised when I awoke to find the 



307 



sun already high above the horizon. On inquiring 
of the dragoman why he had thus neglected my 
instructions, he told me, that during the night 
some person had come into the coffee-house and 
hinted that we were spies from the Bedouins, who 
were encamped on the other side of the river, and 
who were waiting for an opportunity of making an 
incursion into this quarter ; a suspicion for which 
I must confess that the poverty of our appearance 
afforded some ground. The CaiFegi had in conse- 
quence resolved that we should be detained; but 
Giorgio, not wishing to communicate this unplea- 
sant news sooner than was necessary, had let me 
sleep quietly on till the morning. He had scarcely 
finished his story, when the shekh and principal 
persons of the place began to assemble, and we 
immediately became the subjects of their conver- 
sation. A warm dispute arose as to how we should 
be disposed of ; and I could understand enough of 
what was going forward, to perceive that but a 
small party was for allowing us to proceed on our 
way; while a great and clamorous majority was of 
opinion that we ought to be put in chains, and con- 
ducted to a Turkish camp in the neighbourhood. 
Unfortunately I had left my firman at Jerusalem, 
knowing that it would be rather injurious than ser- 
viceable to me among the Arabs whom I was going 
to visit; and the absence of this document was now 
very unfavourable to us, as we had only our own 
assertion to oiler in proof of our real character. 



SOS 



The debate continued for a long time, almost 
every one present having something to say. Giorgio 
took an active part in it ; and on this, as on other 
occasions, acted with a spirit which we should 
scarcely expect to find in one of his vocation # . 
Poor Mahomet crouched silently in a corner of the 
tent, with a very anxious and downcast look ; and 
he had indeed reason for apprehension ; for being 
really a Bedouin, if carried before the Turkish 
officer he was sure of being imprisoned and of 
losing his mare, if not his head. Any interference 
on my part, I knew, would be useless ; I therefore 
desired to have my pipe lighted, and prepared pa- 
tiently to await the decision of the assembly. The 
pipe, however, was no where to be found : it had 
been stolen during the night ; and Giorgio dex- 
terously availed himself of this trifling circumstance, 
to make a diversion in our favour. " Is this the 
way," said he, " that you treat the friends of your 
Sultan? — is this your hospitality to the stranger who 
has eaten bread with you ? It is not because you 
take us for spies that you detain us here ; it is that 
you are thieves, and want to rob us of our pro- 
perty." This appeal was not without effect: the 
Galilaeans were evidently disconcerted; and one or 
two of those who had spoken violently against us, 
left the divan under pretence of seeking for the lost 
goods. A pause ensued, which was broken by the 

* I have before mentioned that Giorgio was a tailor. 



309 



entrance of a man with only one eye, and otherwise 
of most forbidding appearance, but who seemed to 
command more attention than any other person 
who had addressed the assembly. " You know not 
what you are doing/' said he : u If these men had 
killed one of your relations, or if they came to spy 
out the land, would they have ventured openly and 
unarmed into your house ? Can you not tell by the 
strangers tongue that he is an Englishman ? and have 
not the English always been our friends? When the 
French came to seize our country and strip us of our 
property, who protected us but the English ?" Then 
addressing himself to me: u BismUlali" said he, " in 
the name of God depart in peace, and may your jour- 
ney be prosperous P This speech was received by the 
audience with a murmur of approbation: the stolen 
pipe was found in a neighbouring cottage; and 
coffee was handed round as a pledge of reconcilia- 
tion. I refused, however, the proffered hospitality, 
and mounted my horse, declaring that I would re- 
present the whole affair to the government at Acre, 
and have the village laid under contribution, — a threat 
which I had as little the intention as the means of 
realizing. 

On leaving the village we descended into a plain, 
at the extremity of which we saw Mount Tabor, 
distinguished from the surrounding hills by its flat 
or table summit. In approaching it we passed 
through some pretty forest scenery. The smooth 
turf was varied with open groves of Valaniah oak, 



310 



whose deep rich green was very pleasing to the eye, 
after having been so long accustomed only to the 
lighter hues of the palm or the olive-tree. Cows 
and sheep were straying in the woods, and groups 
of women and children were employed in watching 
or drawing water for them. Several coveys of par- 
tridges sprung up before us, and now and then a 
gazelle bounded lightly across the glade. 

It took us nearly two hours to climb Mount 
Tabor, the road being very bad, stony, and entangled 
with the brushwood and thickets, which cover the 
sides of the mountain. The view from the top, 
however, well repays the trouble of the ascent. 
On the north, the stony hills of Nazareth are se- 
parated from the mountain by a narrow woody 
valley ; — to the north-east are the plains of Galilee ; 
and the lake of Tiberias is seen through the intervals 
of the hills which skirt its shores ; — to the eastward, 
a succession of swelling downs extends to the plains 
of Jordan, and the view is closed in that direction 
by the mountains of Gilead. Southward, Mount 
Herrnon is separated from the twin mountain by a 
valley, in which we are told was situated the village 
of Endor, where Saul consulted the sibyl ; and be- 
yond it are the mountains of Gilboah, where he 
perished. The wide plain of Edraelon or Jezreel 
spreads out to the south and west, until closed by a 
chain of low hills, which extend in a curve from 
Napolosa to Mount Carmel. At the foot of Mount 
Tabor the little village of Deborah preserves the 



311 



name of the Israelite heroine; and near it are the 
springs of the river Kishon, on whose banks she 
overthrew the hosts of the Amorites,, and where in 
like manner, in our times, a handful of Frenchmen 
from Acre routed the whole army of the Pasha of 
Damascus. The remains of a massive wall can still 
be traced all round the level ground at the top of 
the mountain, which at some period or other seems 
to have been strongly fortified. In the middle is 
an open space covered with beautiful turf, where, 
on the anniversary of the Transfiguration, the Chris- 
tians of the neighbourhood assemble under tents, 
and pass two or three days in festivity. Three 
small grottoes mark the spot where they suppose 
the miracle to have taken place, and these they in- 
geniously conjecture to be the three tabernacles 
which the Apostles proposed to build. The descent 
of the mountain occupied about an hour; and an 
easy ride over slopes covered with oaks and olive- 
trees brought us to a brow, from whence we saw 
the village of Nazareth before us, situated in a hol- 
low among the hills. 

On reaching the convent I was much surprised 
to find that the Baron was not yet arrived^ as the 
direct road from Jerusalem was much shorter than 
that by which I had come; and when after waiting 
two or three days I heard no tidings of him, I began 
to fear either that he had fallen ill, or that he had 
met with some adventure like that of Belbeis. Had 
it not been for the anxiety which these apprehen- 



312 



sions occasioned me, I should have been very com- 
fortable in my quarters at Nazareth. The convent 
is large, well built, and airy ; and it was at this time 
tenanted by a set of very good-natured and obliging 
inhabitants. The superior, a Genoese, was a very 
intelligent and agreeable man, and a bon vivant upon 
principle. " Not poveri /rati" said he, "We poor 
friars are by our vows excluded from almost all 
those enjoyments in which the rest of mankind 
seek for happiness; but, blessed be St. Francis ! our 
rules do not wholly interdict good cheer, — that re- 
source at least remains to us." Nor did he neglect 
it. His cellars were annually supplied with the red 
wine of Cyprus, and the vino cToro of Mount 
Lebanon. The vineyards belonging to the establish- 
ment furnished an abundance of excellent aqua vitae, 
and a private cabinet in his own apartment contained 
a choice selection of Italian liqueurs. The cookery 
of the convent was of corresponding merit; and I 
well recollect the warmth with which, after finishing 
his repast, the worthy prior was wont to pronounce, 
" Questo cuoco e veramente buono" 

The modern village of Nazareth is clean, cheer- 
ful and populous, and there are many pleasant 
walks and rides in its environs. The most fre- 
quented is to a spot called "The Precipice," which 
is supposed to be the steep place down which his 
countrymen attempted to cast our Saviour. It 
commands a view over the whole plain of Jezreel: 
and I strolled thither almost every evening, in 



313 



the hopes of being able to discern my companion 
journeying from Samaria. On returning from one 
of these rides I had an opportunity of observing 
some of the ceremonies of a Galilaean wedding. 
Two marriages were to be celebrated at the same 
time; and the bridegrooms with their friends had 
been dining in a shady field about half a mile from 
the village. During the afternoon they amused 
themselves with firing at a mark, and other sports ; 
and as they were returning home in the evening 
I accidentally fell in with the procession. The 
two bridegrooms rode side by side, turning their 
eyes neither to the right nor to the left, and 
retaining a gravity of countenance which did not 
admit a muscle of their faces to be moved. They 
were equipped with the best clothes and arms that 
they either possessed or could collect among their 
friends. Their turbans were profusely ornamented 
with flowers, and each of them carried a large nose- 
gay in one hand, while with the other he held his 
pipe, which he seemed to puff as it were mechani- 
cally, at regular intervals. Their whole appearance, 
indeed, was that of two automatons placed on horse- 
back. The horses were each led by two men, and 
moved on at the slowest possible pace. The solemn 
gravity of the principal actors in this pageant was 
strongly contrasted with the wild and almost frantic 
demeanour of their companions, who were all onfoot. 
At every fifty yards these latter stopped and formed 
a circle round the bridegrooms. One of them held 



314 



in his hand a large figure dressed in woman's 
clothes, which he kept moving up and down, and 
dancing backwards and forwards, the rest clap- 
ping their hands and stamping violently with their 
feet, till they seemed almost overcome with the 
exertion. Loud shouts were heard from every side, 
and guns were fired off at intervals. At about half 
way to the village the women were seated in a 
group, and as soon as the procession came up they 
rose and joined it; some of them running by the side 
of the bridegrooms, whose horses now quickened 
their pace; others falling into the rear, and all joining 
in that peculiar cry which the women of the East 
are accustomed to use on occasions of rejoicing, 
and which can be compared to nothing more exactly 
than to the frequent rapid pronunciation of the words 
lillak, lillahy lil/ah, in the shrillest tone imaginable. 
When I first heard it, it seemed wild and extraordi- 
nary, and more expressive of sorrow than of joy; 
but finding it always associated with the latter 
feeling, this impression gradually wore away, and at 
length I began to think it agreeable. The proces- 
sion conducts the bridegroom to his own house; 
after which he escapes to that of the bride, leaving 
his companions to continue their revelry, which is 
generally kept up in the same way, — dancing, shout- 
ing, clapping of hands, and firing of guns till mid- 
night. The company is composed indiscriminately 
of Christians and Mahometans, who live together 
in the greatest harmony. The Christians of Naza- 



315 



reth indeed, except for a short interval during the 
reign of the tyrant Jezzar, have always enjoyed 
great freedom, owing in part to the protection 
which they receive from the Latin friars. 

The conventual church of Nazareth is handsome, 
though inferior to that of St. Giovanni. From the 
centre of the western entrance a broad flight of steps 
leads down to a grotto, and on each flank is another 
flight leading up to the high altar. In the grotto^ 
or rather just at its entrance, is reported to have 
stood the memorable house of the Madonna, which 
was miraculously removed to Loretto; and some 
holes in the rock are pointed out as the places on 
which the beams rested. Though the house itself 
has disappeared, yet the exact spot in which the 
Incarnation took place is still preserved with re- 
ligious accuracy. Two broken pillars indicate the 
place where stood the announcing angel; and the 
seat of the Virgin is occupied by an altar, on which 
blazes, in letters of gold, the awful inscription— 
HIC verbum caro factum est. 
Several places of minor importance are also ex- 
hibited, such as the kitchen of the Virgin and the 
workshop of Joseph. They are all excavated in the 
rock ; and the observation which Maundrell made 
can hardly fail to occur to every visitor, "that 
almost all passages and histories related in the 
Gospel are represented by them that undertake to 
show where every thing was done, as having been 
done in grottos, and that even in such cases where 



316 



the condition and circumstances of the actions them- 
selves seem to require places of another nature." 
But although the Christian traditions in the neigh- 
bourhood of Nazareth may not be more authentic, 
they appeared to me to present themselves in a less 
questionable shape than those at Jerusalem. Even 
credulity must revolt when a modern house is 
pointed out as the abode of a Roman governor, or a 
Turkish mosque as the chamber of the Last Supper; 
whereas the mount of the Transfiguration, or the 
" hill of the Beatitudes," may have been the real 
scene of the events recorded in holy writ. The 
buildings, the streets, nay perhaps the very site of 
Jerusalem, are changed; — the mountains of Galilee 
remain as they wxre eighteen hundred years ago : 

" Presentiorem et conspicimus Deum 
Per invias rupes fera per juga." 



317 



CHAPTER X. 

JERASH. 

As soon as I arrived at Nazareth I discharged my 
Bedouin attendant, and had given up all thoughts 
of going to Jerash, when in conversation with one 
of the friars I happened to learn that there was a 
man residing in the village who had once accom- 
panied some travellers thither, and who would pro- 
bably have no objection to undertake the journey 
again. He was a Christian named Giorgio, or as the 
Arabs call it Girgis, to which, as he was able to read 
and write, the appellation of Malim* was prefixed. 

Like many other Christians of Galilee, he had 
fled from the persecution of the sanguinary Jezzar 
to the mountains beyond the Jordan, where he had 
passed several years, and had become known to 
almost all the inhabitants. On the death of that 
tyrant he returned to his native village, but he was 
still in the habit of making occasional visits to his 
former retreat in the character of an itinerant mer- 
chant; and being a man of abilities and information 
much superior to their own, and moreover an ex- 
cellent story-teller, he was always a welcome visitor 

* Malim, or Mo'allim, (the wise, or the learned,) is a term in 
Arabic applied to secretaries, scribes, interpreters, &c. 



318 



among the half-savage tribes of the mountain. 
After some conversation with him, and some in- 
quiries as to his character and the probability of 
his being able to fulfil his engagement, I agreed 
with him for the sum of 500 piastres, or about 
fifteen pounds, to conduct me to Jerash. 

On the 13th of October the Baron arrived at 
Nazareth. Having been told at Jerusalem that the 
direct road was dangerous, he had gone back to 
Jaffa, and come by sea to Acre ; and this circuitous 
route caused the delay which had occasioned me so 
much uneasiness. On the following day I set out, 
attended by the Malim and my interpreter Giorgio, 
without any other baggage than we could carry 
about our persons or on our horses. We crossed 
the plain of Jezreel, passed between Mount Tabor 
and Mount Hermon; and following the course of 
a small stream, descended into a glen, which 
afforded some pretty sequestered scenery. On one 
side of it we observed a Bedouin encampment, 
which we studiously avoided; and though not with- 
out apprehension of being visited by some of its 
occupants, we reached the plain of Jordan in safety, 
and in six hours from Nazareth crossed the river 
at a point between the lake of Tiberias and Bisan. 
The stream at this spot was wide, deep, and rapid, 
with the peculiar milky hue which I had observed 
in it lower down. After crossing it we directed our 
course towards Arbaeen, a conspicuous village si- 
tuated on an eminence in the plain, where our guide 



319 



proposed to halt for the night; but on arriving there 
we found that all the inhabitants had left their houses 
to assist in collecting the olive harvest, and we were 
therefore obliged to scale the mountains that even- 
ing. The scenery as we ascended was wilder than 
on the other side of the river; and the path became 
gradually steeper and more rugged, till it reached a 
defile between two precipitous rocks, so narrow as 
to be capable of being closed with a single large 
stone. At this point our guide told us that Jezzar 
had been several times repulsed when attempting to 
penetrate into the mountains. The stone however 
was now rolled away; we passed the defile, and 
arrived at a small plain scattered with olive-trees, 
in the midst of which was a little village called Deir 
Abou-Saadi, where we resolved to halt for the night. 
The inhabitants of this village were all Mahometans ; 
few of them had ever before seen a stranger, and 
they gathered round us with looks of the most 
vacant curiosity. They did not however appear to 
he inhospitable, but conducted us to their Manzoul, 
a low mud-built hut with a terrace on the top, to 
which we ascended by a ladder. All the principal 
people of the village came up to bid us welcome; 
but scarcely had we lighted our pipes and began a 
conversation^ when the roof of the building gave 
way, and the whole party (except myself and one 
or two more, who were seated near the edge and 
consequently supported by the outside wall,) fell 
headlong into the apartment below. The height 



320 



not being very great, the injury was in most cases 
confined to a few bruises ; but one man was taken 
up senseless, and carried to his own cottage. The 
villagers ran together on all sides, the women set 
up a dreadful cry; and I was rather alarmed lest 
they should suppose us to be magicians, and im- 
pute to our presence the misfortune which had be- 
fallen them. I went immediately to the house of 
the wounded man, and found him stretched on a 
mattress, and apparently lifeless ; but I could not 
tell whether he had sustained any serious injury, or 
whether he was only stunned by the fall. In either 
case I thought bleeding would be advisable; and a 
blunt razor being produced, Giorgio undertook the 
office of surgeon : but when he approached to com- 
mence the operation, the people with one voice ob- 
jected, and he was obliged to have recourse to a 
different mode of treatment, by stuffing into the 
patient's nostrils a piece of cotton dipped in aqua 
vitse. It was a long time before this remedy pro- 
duced any effect; but the application being several 
times repeated, the man, to my great delight, gave 
symptoms of animation by a violent fit of sneezing, 
and in half an hours time was so far recovered as 
to be able to walk out of his house. This awkward 
adventure being thus happily terminated, we ate our 
supper, and reposed for the night on a large flat 
stone in front of one of the cottages. 

The next morning we set out at day-break, and 
proceeded along the brow of the mountain, from 



321 



whence, after passing several villages, and inquiring 
in vain for the Shekh Yacoob, a friend of the 
Malim, upon whose assistance he in some measure 
depended for our future progress, we descended into 
a deep sequestered valley, and halted in a large grove 
of venerable olive-trees, where the inhabitants of a 
neighbouring village were all assembled, and em- 
ployed in gathering olives. The men and women 
were beating the trees with long poles as we do 
walnut-trees, and the children were collecting the 
fruit in baskets. From this spot we proceeded again 
in a southerly direction, crossing several hollows and 
rivulets, till we reached a village called Choubi. We 
were several times interrupted by the country-people 
who met us ; — some challenged us as going in search 
of treasure, the motive w T hich they always ascribe to 
travellers who have no ostensible object; — others 
taxed us with being Bedouin robbers from the plain ; 
— and one old man, more sagacious than the rest, 
found out our real character, and made an observa- 
tion which expressed the sentiments, I believe, of the 
greater part of the Arab population : "You Franks," 
said he, "come one by one to see our country: why 
do you not all come in a body and rescue us from 
the tyranny of the Osmanli?" 

At Choubi we procured a guide, who led us by an 
obscure path through a forest of beautiful Valaniah 
oak till we arrived at a brow which overlooked a 
considerable stream, and commanded a view along 

Y 



322 



its banks to the plains of the Jordan and the Dead 
Sea. Across the stream on the opposite hill stood 
the village of Kefrangi, embosomed in trees; and at 
a little distance on a sunny knoll was a small Be- 
douin encampment. The scenery was finer than 
any thing I had seen in Syria, and reminded me 
very much of some of the beautiful glens in the 
Appenines. The setting sun shone full up the 
valley, and displayed to great advantage the rich 
and varied foliage of the woods, which were just 
beginning to be tinged with the yellow hues of 
autumn. We descended by a rapid path to the 
banks of the river; and as we approached the vil- 
lage, we were struck by an appearance of neatness, 
wealth, and comfort, which we had not for a long 
time had the opportunity of observing. Both sides 
of the river were lined with orchards of pome- 
granates newly planted, and gardens stored with a 
variety of vegetables and herbs, and kept in excel- 
lent order. We entered the village through a grove 
of majestic Oriental plane-trees. The houses were 
almost all new and well built; we halted at that 
of the Scrivano, or secretary to the Shekh, who 
welcomed his old friend Malim Girgis with great 
cordiality. He was himself a Christian who had 
fled from the ferocity of Jezzar, and had afterwards 
chosen to remain in this situation, where he held 
an office of importance. Soon after the first cere- 
monies of pipes and coiFee were passed, we received 



323 



a visit from the shekh himself, who came attended 
by a Bedouin chief and some other friends. His 
name was YussufFBarakat; he was a very good-look- 
ing man, from thirty to forty years of age, with much 
freedom and politeness of manner. Like most of 
the other shekhs of these mountains, his dependence 
on the Turkish government is very slight. He pays 
a certain tribute, and governs his subjects in his 
own way,— a circumstance which probably accounts 
for the cheerful and comfortable appearance of his 
village and domains, so different from any thing that 
is to be seen in those provinces which are more 
immediately under the superintendence of the Os- 
manli. The people have a great antipathy to the 
introduction of any Turkish soldiers or officers ; and 
the Pacha of Damascus, to whom they are tributary, 
having some time before forced the shekh to admit 
a garrison, an insurrection took place: several of 
the soldiers lost their lives, and the rest escaped 
with difficulty. This of course excited a feud with 
the Turks, and Shekh Yussuff told us that he was 
going on the following day to a village on the 
frontiers of his territory, to meet one of the Pasha's 
officers for the purpose of negotiation. 

In order to give a greater eclat to his appearance, 
and a higher idea of his power and consequence, he 
was to be attended on his journey by a large number 
of his vassals, and also by a detachment from a Be- 
douin tribe, with whom he was in alliance. As the 

y 2 



324 



village to which he was going lay in the road to 
Jerash, he invited me to accompany him so far, and 
promised that on parting he would provide me with 
a proper escort, and a letter to the shekh of the 
district in which the ruins are situated. On taking 
his leave, he desired his secretary to see that we 
were well lodged, and provided with whatever we 
might wish. The scrivano was not slow in obeying 
his orders, and a plentiful bowl of excellent pillaff 
with a dish of Leban^ was soon brought in for 
supper. After a few glasses of aqua vitse had been 
circulated, our host became very eloquent, and en- 
larged on many topics of domestic and foreign 
politics. He told us that the people of these moun- 
tains were anxious to be placed on the same footing 
with the Druses of Mount Lebanon, and to be freed 
entirely from the presence of Turkish soldiers and 
custom-house officers ; but that the wish nearest their 
hearts was to be under the protection of England. 
Had I been a Frenchman, the complaisant scribe 
would probably have said " under the protection of 
France." Curiosity or politeness brought several 
of the neighbours to visit us in the course of the 
evening; and it was near midnight before I could 
extricate myself from their society, and retire to 
my sleeping-room — a kiosk in the garden. 

* Leban (or Yaourti, as it is called in Turkish), is milk curdled 
into a sort of jelly, which is poured over the pillaff. It has a slightly 
acid taste, at first very disagreeable, but after a little use I be- 
came extremely fond of it. 



325 



October 16th. — We were on horseback at day- 
break, and joined the shekh's party at a little di- 
stance from the village. Oar road lay along the 
edge of a narrow valley, through which, on our left, 
flowed the river: the declivity on one side was varied 
with cultivated ground interspersed with thickets; 
on the other side the banks were steeper, and 
covered with hanging oak woods. I remained with 
my party in the rear, and observed at leisure the ca- 
valcade moving through this romantic valley, some- 
times lost to view in a thicket, at others disclosing 
the long line of its march over open ground. The 
shekh led the way mounted on a "milk-white steed." 
He was dressed in a black mashlakh, with a broad 
silver epaulette, and wore on his head a cashmere 
shawl of very gay colours. He was surrounded by 
fifty or sixty attendants on foot, fine strong-looking 
men dressed in white with coloured turbans, and 
armed with muskets, pistols, and daggers. A detach- 
ment of Bedouins followed, all well mounted, their 
lances resting on their stirrups, and their bright yel- 
low keiffehs glittering in the morning sun. As we 
proceeded 3 the party was increased by great numbers 
of armed peasants, who joined it from the neigh- 
bouring villages, and by some straggling Bedouins, 
who came galloping by, to overtake their comrades. 
The scene was picturesque and romantic, — one 
might have imagined that the days of the Crusaders 
were returned, and that a paynim army was marching 
to attack the castle of Rabboth, whose hoary walls 



326 



frowned over the woods on the opposite bank of 
the river. 

We passed through Adgloun, a village which 
gives its name to the whole of the district, and pro- 
ceeded to another village at a little distance from 
it called Ain-jenneh, near to which the Turkish forces 
were encamped. Here we left the shekh, and halted 
under some lofty walnut-trees a little further on. 
In about an hour we saw him pass by to pay his 
visit to the Turkish officer. His attendants had 
now formed themselves into a more regular line of 
march : they were in all about two hundred men 
on foot and fifty horsemen, and made rather a for- 
midable appearance. I learnt afterwards that the 
meeting between the two chiefs terminated ami- 
cably, and that Shekh Yussuff returned to his vil- 
lage invested with the pelisse, and confirmed in his 
government. 

As soon as the bustle of the procession was over, 
we proceeded on our journey. Our party now con- 
sisted of myself, the interpreter Giorgio, the Malim 
Girgis, a young man named Daoud, son of the 
scrivano at Kefrangi, two stout peasants armed 
with muskets, and a Bedouin mounted on a beau- 
tiful white mare, who had come with the shekh 
thus far, and had been prevailed upon to proceed 
with us. A little above Ain-jenneh we re-crossed 
the river which we had crossed at Adgloun, and 
entered a forest of oak-trees, of very large growth 
and venerable appearance. They seemed to be 



327 



almost contemporary with the Roman road, the 
traces of which, marked by occasional fragments of 
pavement, we frequently observed in our progress. 
After about two hours' ride we reached the top of a 
hill and quitted the forest, when a view opened upon 
us over a country totally differing in appearance 
from the close narrow valleys through which we 
had passed. A long succession of downs thinly 
scattered with olive-trees sloped eastward to the 
plains of the Hauran, which again were bounded 
by the desert faintly distinguished in the remote 
distance. As we descended the hill on the eastern 
side, the traces of the Roman road were more fre- 
quently visible ; and at the village of Souf, where 
we halted, I observed a milestone still standing. 

Souf is situated on the side of a steep hill, and 
near the source of a stream which runs southward 
to join the river Zerka, supposed to be the Jabbok 
of Holy Writ. The ground on which it is built is 
so shelving that the entrance of the upper houses is 
on a level with the roofs of the lower. The houses 
are very miserable, and the inhabitants seemed 
poorer and much less civilized than those of the 
villages we had lately visited. The shekh, to whom 
we delivered our letter of introduction, was a man of 
very rough appearance, quite a contrast to his neigh- 
bour YussufF. He received us, however, with a surly 
civility, and promised to conduct us the next day to 
Jerash, which he told us was only a few hours distant, 



328 



I strolled about the village till sunset, and then 
returned to the Mansoul, or public room, which was 
attached to the shekli s house. It was a low hut, 
the walls built with mud, and the roof made of poles 
and brushwood, plastered over with the same ma- 
terial. As it had no windows the light was ad- 
mitted through the door only, and in the middle 
was dug a shallow round hole which served for fire- 
place. The arrival of a stranger in these countries 
is the signal of good cheer. A kid was killed for 
the occasion, and served up cut into fragments and 
buried in an enormous pile of boiled rice. The 
party assembled was so large that it was impossible 
that all could at the same time " dip their hands into 
the dish :" precedence was therefore given to the 
strangers, and to the shekh and elders of the people, 
who squatted first round the bowl : but as soon as 
any one had finished (and they all eat with the 
greatest possible expedition), he rose and made way 
for some hungry expectant. I counted forty per- 
sons, who in their turn partook of the meal ; and 
there still remained a portion, which was sent out 
for the servants and persons of inferior condition. 

As soon as supper was finished the guests formed 
a circle round the fire-place. A large green tree 
was brought in and laid with all its branches, "udos 
cum foliis ramos," on the hot embers ; and the cloud 
of smoke which filled the chamber, and which had 
no outlet but at the door, may easily be conceived. 



329 



Among the visitors who came in after supper I 
observed a miserable squalid figure., who seemed 
to keep at a distance, as if not liking to mingle 
with the rest of the throng. He did not offer to 
sit down, but stood in the back row, and in a dark 
corner of the room, holding by the hand a little boy 
who looked as wretched as himself. On inquiring 
who he was, the Malim whispered to me that he 
was the only Christian inhabitant of Souf, which 
accounted for his poor appearance and humble 
demeanour. He seemed to derive some little con- 
fidence from our presence, and edging round by 
degrees to the place where we were sitting, he at last 
ventured to crouch down near us, and as he thought, 
unobserved. His boy, however, was not allowed to 
remain long quiet. The son of the shekh, a young 
ruffian of about his own age, soon picked a quarrel, 
and drove him insultingly out of the apartment ; and 
his father took the hint, and presently followed him. 
I felt much compassion for this poor defenceless 
victim of religious bigotry; but the only way in 
which I could testify my feeling was by sending him 
a small sum of money on the following day. 

This evening I had the first opportunity of wit- 
nessing and lamenting the skill of the Malim 
Girgis as a story-teller. Coffee having been handed 
round, pipes all lighted, and the flaming tree pushed 
a little further into the fire, he began. I desired 
the interpreter, who sat by me, to explain the story 
to me as it went on ; and for a little while he did 



330 



so : but as the Malim advanced and became warmed 
with the subject, his speech grew so rapid, that 
Giorgio was obliged to give up his task in despair; 
and I was forced to amuse myself with observing 
the changing and various expression in the faces of 
half a hundred savage rustics of all ages, who were 
listening with attention so profound, that it seemed 
almost like the reverence paid to a superior being. 
The most perfect silence was preserved, except oc- 
casionally when the plot of the story was at the 
point of its greatest interest, or when some extra- 
ordinary catastrophe had been announced ; and then, 
as if by common consent, each man took his pipe 
from his mouth, and in a low voice growled out 
Mashallah — the common expression throughout 
the East of surprise mixed with admiration. The 
women, muffled up in their blue veils, came occa- 
sionally to the door to listen, and some of them 
even ventured, though tremblingly, a few steps into 
the apartment. For more than four hours did the 
indefatigable Malim continue; and so well did he 
succeed in riveting the attention of his audience, 
that when midnight arrived, not more than five or 
six persons were gone away. My patience, however, 
was completely exhausted: I had been sitting all 
the time listening to a language I could not under- 
stand; my eyes streaming from the effects of the 
greenwood smoke, and without any resource but 
my pipe, which I had filled and finished twenty 
times. I thought, therefore, that I had taxed my 



331 



politeness enough, and desired the Malim to desist 
at the conclusion of the next story, which came 
at the end of about another half hour. The party 
then immediately broke up ; the shekh retired to 
his harem ; the villagers to their own homes ; while 
we and five or six more visitors wrapped ourselves 
up in our cloaks, and lay down on some clean 
mats on the floor of the Mansoul. I was the first 
to set the example ; and each man as he went out 
offered to throw his mashlakh over me, — a mark of 
respect which they always pay to the principal 
visitor, but which for obvious reasons I begged 
to decline. 

October 17th. — It had been settled on the pre- 
vious evening by the Malim that the shekh should 
accompany us to Jerash with an escort of eight 
men; but in the morning we found that sixteen 
were waiting to attend us. According to the com- 
mon notions of the country, which I have before 
mentioned, the villagers were persuaded that we 
were going in search of treasure ; and as all were 
anxious to share the benefit of our discoveries, our 
escort was thus unnecessarily augmented. A more 
ferocious-looking set of fellows I never saw col- 
lected together. Some were on horseback, and 
others on foot; all were dressed in the coarsest 
attire, and armed with guns and pistols of the rudest 
workmanship. With the shekh and my own at- 
tendants, the party consisted of twenty-two persons. 
We proceeded slowly over an open down, leaving 



332 



the course of the stream at some distance on our 
left; and after about two hours ride we came to a 
brow, from which we discovered the whole of the 
ancient city. We approached it through a cemetery 
strewed with broken stone sarcophagi, and inclosed 
by a trench at the north-western side of the wall. 
We soon arrived at the ruins of a Corinthian temple 
which faces the east. Part of the tympanum and 
nine majestic columns of the portico of this mag- 
nificent structure, together with two of the peristyle, 
are still standing, and the walls of the cella and the 
steps at the entrance are tolerably entire. The 
temple was surrounded by a peribolus composed of 
a double row of columns, all of which are thrown 
down ; but the area may be traced by their bases 
which remain. A little further to the south is a 
smaller temple, not so well preserved, only three 
Corinthian columns being left standing, and further 
on we came to a large theatre, one of the most 
perfect remains of antiquity that I have ever seen. 
The stone seats are almost entire, and the wall at 
the back of the proscenium is still standing, to- 
gether with several columns which formed its in- 
terior decoration. The theatre, as usual, is placed 
on the slope of the hill, and close beside it stood a 
large temple, also of the Corinthian order. Three 
sides of the cella alone remain, all the columns both 
of the portico and of the peristyle having fallen. A 
broad flight of steps, now quite dilapidated, led up 
to this temple; and from the site of the portico 



333 



there is a fine view over the whole extent of the 
„ ruins. The city was built on two opposite sides of 
a valley divided from each other by a rivulet, pa- 
rallel with which a street of columns extended nearly 
its whole lengthy a distance I should suppose of 
almost a mile. At the south end this street appears 
to have terminated in a circular colonnade, of which 
fifty-seven columns are still standing. There were 
originally nearly a hundred, all of the Ionic order, 
about twenty feet high, and placed in a single row 
round the inclosure, which was probably the Forum. 
About three hundred yards from this was the south 
gate of the town, which is now fallen down and 
blocked up with ruins ; and at about the same di- 
stance without the gate there is a triumphal arch 
very little injured. The approach to the city in 
this direction, from the plains of the Hauran, must 
have been extremely imposing. On the western 
side of the road leading from the gate to the arch,, 
the remains of a stadium are clearly discoverable. 
The seats, though overgrown with grass, remain 
nearly entire; and as an aqueduct can be traced 
from the springs on the other side the valley, we 
may suppose that it was sometimes used for the 
exhibition of a naumachia. 

Returning back we crossed the circular colonnade, 
and proceeded along the principal street which in- 
tersected the town. This is not more than wide 
enough for one carriage to pass along; but the 
pavement in many places is quite perfect, and the 



334 



marks of the wheels remain. On each side was a 
row of columns of different heights, and of dif- . 
ferent workmanship, the Corinthian order predo- 
minating. A great many of them are still standing ; 
but in some places they have fallen down, and 
nearly blocked up the street with their fragments. 
At about one-third of the distance, from the cir- 
cular colonnade to the northern gate, this street 
is intersected at right angles by another, which is 
also flanked with columns, but of less dimensions. 
At the intersection are four large pedestals, and 
the cross street leads down on the right by a 
flight of steps to a bridge across the river, great 
part of which remains, though the crown of the 
arch has given way, and made it impassable. 
Still continuing along the main street, we passed 
several porticoes and niches, remarkable for the 
beauty and good preservation of their ornaments 
and mouldings. Just below the great temple first 
mentioned, which stands on much higher ground 
than the street, are the remains of a propylseum or 
gateway, which conducted to it; and opposite to 
this was a short street terminated by a small Corin- 
thian temple and by a flight of steps leading down 
to another bridge, which is still standing, but more 
ruinous than the former. To the northward of this, 
but few columns remain standing in the main street 
till we arrive at another quadrivium or intersection 
of a cross street, where there is a portico resembling 
that of Janus Quadrifons at Rome, having a vaulted 



335 



roof supported by four arches, through which the 
streets passed. It is square on the outside and 
circular within, and great part of the roof still re- 
mains. Here turning to the right through the cross 
street, which was also lined with columns, most of 
them now fallen, we came to a very large building 
composed of massive arches, which was probably a 
bath. Crossing the bed of the stream, which was 
now dry, we soon arrived at a pool of water over- 
hung with fine shady plane-trees, and surrounded 
by various plants and shrubs. It is supplied from 
two springs, at both of which are considerable re- 
mains of ancient buildings and some blocks of 
marble. The water is delightfully soft and sweet, 
and the sources were probably in ancient times very 
abundant; but they are now so encumbered by frag- 
ments of masonry, and choked up with vegetation, 
that after supplying the pool they send but a small 
contribution to the river. At a little distance to 
the southward of the fountain is another large 
bath, the walls of which remain almost entire. 

Returning from the spring, and crossing the main 
street in the opposite direction, we came to another 
theatre, not so large or so well preserved as the 
former one, the stage and lower seats being choked 
up with rubbish. To the back of the proscenium 
a portico is attached, of which five Corinthian co- 
lumns are still standing. From the vaulted portico 
the main street extended to the northern gate of 
the city, flanked by columns of the Ionic order, a 



336 



great number of which are still standing; and at 
some distance from it, to the eastward, are large 
remains of a Corinthian temple, the cella of which 
appears to have been converted to the purpose of a 
Christian church. The slope of the eastern hill is 
covered with the ruins of private houses ; but I did 
not observe the remains of any considerable public 
edifice. 

While we were surveying the ruins, the shekh 
had purchased a kid of some goat-herds whom we 
met with at the fountain, and on our return to 
the portico we found the people preparing it for 
their dinner. They had constructed with some 
bricks a rude oven with two divisions, one above 
the other. In the lower one the fuel was placed, 
and in the upper the animal entire, the skin only 
having been removed. The bricks were then luted 
together with clay, the fire lighted, and the pro- 
cess of cooking left to itself. In about an hour 
it was considered to be finished, and the shekh 
and his men sat down to devour the half raw and 
half scorched meat. They invited me to partake 
of it; but though ceremony did not allow me to 
refuse, it was so tough that I could swallow but a 
very small portion. My companions, however, were 
less fastidious: the kid very soon disappeared; and 
after their meal was over, they lay down to sleep in 
the shade. 

During the whole of the morning I had never 
been left alone. Three or four of the escort fol- 



337 



lowed me every where, crying continually, " Ziboobeh, 
ziboobeh!" "The treasure, the treasure!" and never 
allowing me to be a moment out of their sight, lest 
I should appropriate any thing unobserved by them. 
This perpetual surveillance I found very irksome; 
and I now took the opportunity of stealing out, as 
I hoped unnoticed, to make another tour of the 
ruins by myself, and at leisure. But in this I was 
disappointed: I had scarcely reached the fountain, 
when my persecutors overtook me ; and the shekh 
soon afterwards coming up, told us, that as the 
evening was drawing on, it was time to return to 
the village. 

I was thus hurried away from this delightful spot ; 
but, notwithstanding the short time I had been able 
to devote to it, and the perpetual intrusion of my 
companions, which scarcely gave me an opportunity 
of making the few short notes from which the fore- 
going account is taken # ; it has left a lasting im- 
pression on my memory. Except perhaps at Rome 
or at Athens, I know not a more striking assemblage 
of architectural remains, than that which presents 
itself to view from the portico of the southern 
temple. Palmyra is the place to which Jerash may 
be most aptly compared. The style of the archi- 

* Further details may be found in the simple narrative of 
Shekh Ibrahim, and in the flowery pages of Mr. Buckingham : 
but I could name two gentlemen who have the materials and the 
ability to give a much more perfect account of the place than any 
that has yet appeared. 

z 



338 



tecture shows them to have been nearly contem- 
porary; bm% though the ruins of that celebrated 
city are much more extensive, those of Jerash are 
more varied; and, instead of being surrounded by 
a barren wilderness, they have the advantage of a 
picturesque situation in the midst of a beautiful and 
smiling country, abounding in water, wood, and 
herbage. 

It seems extraordinary that a city, whose splendid 
buildings proclaim it to have been of great wealth 
and importance, should have been so little noticed 
in history as the ancient Gerasa has been; and it 
has been conjectured, that these may probably be 
the ruins of Pella, which is known to have been a 
place of consequence, and moreover to have been 
particularly distinguished by an abundant supply of 
water *. Several historical facts have been brought 
forward in confirmation of this opinion; but the 
similarity of the modern name of Jerash with the 
ancient Gerasa, is at least a strong, if not a con- 
clusive argument against it. 

In returning to Souf we followed a most delight- 
ful route through the valley, between hills covered 
with fine turf, and varied with groves of stately 
Valaniah oak, till we reached a steep pathway, which 
led us up to the village, where we arrived a little 
before sunset. The company assembled was not 
so numerous as on the preceding evening: and the 



* Pellam aquis divitem.™ Pliny, v, 16. 



339 



hospitality of the shekh seemed to be on the de- 
cline, as the supper consisted of oiled rice only, — a 
dish to which I had an invincible repugnance. But 
Giorgio fortunately had shot a partridge out of a large 
covey that we sprung in the valley ; and having made 
friends with some of the women of the shekh's 
harem, had prevailed on them to roast it privately. 
I ate it with similar precaution, for fear of giving 
offence; and having thus satisfied my hunger, I sat 
down with the other guests. Their own eagerness 
withdrew their attention from me, and I could 
easily pretend to eat the rank pillaff with as good 
an appetite as themselves. A number of persons 
coming in after supper, the party was even more 
numerous than the night before, and the conversa- 
tion much more animated. All the men who had 
composed our escort were present; and, though 
disappointed of the expected treasure, their spirits 
were so much elated with the bacsheesh they had 
received, that they talked incessantly. Some of 
them offered to conduct me the next day to Anian, 
(the Ammon of the Scriptures, and the Philadel- 
phia of the Romans,) where there are also exten- 
sive remains of antiquity : others broke out into 
violent invectives against the Turks, or Osmanli as 
they called them ; for whom, like all the inhabitants 
of these mountains, and indeed of Syria generally, 
they entertain the greatest abhorrence: and our 
Bedouin attendant, who had hitherto appeared to 
be a man of invincible taciturnity, launched out 

z 2 



340 



into extravagant praises of his mare, and offered to 
match her against any other that might be produced. 
In the midst of this conversation several persons 
entered hastily into the room, and one of them ad- 
dressed the shekh with great vehemence. I found 
that the subject of his harangue was a dispute be- 
tween himself and a neighbour as to the possession 
of some olive-trees, which, however they may be 
emblematical of peace, are in all southern countries 
a most fruitful source of litigation. As soon as he 
had finished, his opponent began his reply; and 
afterwards several witnesses were called in to depose 
to the rights of each party. Among them were two 
or three very old women, whose shrivelled skin and 
haggard appearance excited much mirth in the as- 
sembly. The shekh however preserved his gravity, 
and seemed disposed to hear both sides with pa- 
tience and attention: but as every person present 
considered himself a member of the tribunal and 
entitled to give his opinion, a scene of great con- 
fusion ensued: the parties, the witnesses, and the 
court all talking, or rather vociferating at once. 
Words soon ran high, and I began to apprehend 
that the evening would not pass very amicably, 
when Malim Girgis, who foresaw also an impending 
storm, abruptly said to our host "Shekh Mahomed, 
Masalami" " I salute you," the ordinary form of 
commencement when addressing a superior. A mo- 
ment's pause in the debate ensued, and the Malim 
took advantage of it to begin a story. In an instant 



341 



the dispute was hushed; the plaintiff and the de- 
fendant, the olive-trees and the old women, seemed 
alike forgotten, and a profound and almost breath- 
less silence prevailed throughout the rude divan. 
The triumph of the story-teller was complete ; har- 
mony was restored, and he continued, as before, to 
amuse his audience till midnight. 

The next morning, previously to our departure, 
the Malim himself was involved in a dispute with 
the shekh as to the sum which was to be paid for 
our entertainment. The shekh was not satisfied 
with what our guide offered him, and appealed to 
me; but I escaped from the controversy by saying, 
that as I had made an agreement with Malim Girgis 
to convey me to Jerash and back for a certain sum, 
I had nothing to do with any settlement he might 
make on the road. The shekh admitted the truth 
of my remark; and, as is usual on such occasions, 
said that "the Englishman was not in fault:" but, 
though he treated me with great politeness, he was 
so angry with the guide and the interpreter, that 
he scarcely condescended to bid either of them 
farewell. 

We retraced our path through the oak forest to 
Adgloun, where our Bedouin left us to return to 
his camp at Kefrangi, but not without a furious 
quarrel as to the pay he was to receive. After 
many threats, however, he was obliged to take what 
was offered him, and rode off cursing the Christians. 
Among the most disagreeable circumstances which 



342 



attend travelling in these countries, are the per- 
petual quarrels as to the payment of guides, mule- 
teers, boatmen, and indeed every description of 
service. Besides the sum stipulated for in the con- 
tract, a present is always expected; and though I 
was generally disposed to be liberal, I scarcely re- 
collect one of the numerous persons whom I had 
at different times in my employ, who was satisfied 
with what I gave him : even Malim Girgis claimed 
a bacsheesh on my return to Nazareth, although he 
made a clear profit of at least half the sum which I 
had paid him for the journey. 

As I wished to visit the castle of Rabboth, w T e 
kept on the right bank of the river, and ascended 
the hill on which it stands. The view down the 
valley was extremely rich and beautiful. Gardens, 
orchards, olive-trees and oaks, clothed the opposite 
banks of the stream with varied foliage, and the 
smoke rose in curling wreaths from the village of 
Kefrangi. The castle is about two miles from 
Adgloun: it is a lofty square building with towers 
at the angles. An Arabic inscription found by 
Shekh Ibrahim refers its construction to Sultan 
Saladin, and it is built in the style which cha- 
racterizes the Saracenic architecture of the middle 
ages in Syria; and which, in the solidity and accuracy 
of the masonry, may almost vie with the works of 
antiquity. It was once defended by outworks which 
are now ruinous, but the walls and the roof are 
nearly entire, and some of the chambers still remain. 



343 



Many of the apartments, however, are inaccessible, 
from the floors and staircases having given way: 
and the castle, which once perhaps was occupied 
by the choicest warriors of Islamism, or the flower 
of European chivalry, had now for its garrison only 
half a dozen ragged and barefooted peasants. It 
was used as a state prison by Yussuf Barakat ; and 
in one of the rooms we saw a near relation of the 
shekh, wiio had been detected in a conspiracy 
against him, confined with two of his accomplices. 
They were heavily chained, and almost naked; but 
in spite of their forlorn appearance, I could dis- 
cover in their countenances pride, rage, and revenge, 
waiting only for an opportunity to call them into 
exercise; and in these unsettled and turbulent re- 
gions that would probably not long be wanting # . 
From the battlements of the castle we had a very 
fine view, comprehending almost all the country 
we had lately passed over, and extending from the 
Hauran on one side, to the mountains of Palestine 
on the other. 

From Rabboth we rode for several hours through 
a thick and almost pathless forest of oak-trees; on 
leaving which we found ourselves near the brow of 
the mountains, overlooking the plains of Jordan. 
As it was near sunset, we halted at the first village 

* I have lately heard (1828), that Shekh Yussuf has since 
been deposed and assassinated, and this very prisoner put in his 
place. 



344 



we came to: but most of the inhabitants having 
shut up their houses, and gone into the neighbour- 
ing glens and valleys to collect the olives, we had 
some difficulty in procuring a lodging; and when 
we had succeeded in this point, we were still at a 
loss to find provision, of which we stood much in 
need. After some inquiries, however, my inter- 
preter discovered that a wild boar had lately been 
killed in the forest, and that a part of it was to be 
found at the house of a Christian in the village. 
But as we were stationed in the house of a Maho- 
metan, it was necessary to use some caution in pro- 
curing it; and after Giorgio had brought a portion 
concealed under his mashlakh, I retired into the 
stable to eat it, lest the sight of the forbidden food 
should shock the prejudices of my host. 

We set out the next morning before day-break 
with a party of itinerant merchants who were going 
to Szalt, and whose route was for part of the way 
the same with our own. But their cavalcade being 
encumbered with a train of asses loaded with pan- 
niers, they proceeded so slowly that we soon left 
them behind. A steep and stony track led us down 
a gorge in the mountains, at the foot of which we 
halted at a beautiful fountain under some preci- 
pitous rocks. The Malim did not suffer us to 
remain there long, as he was very impatient to 
cross the plain, which was thickly studded with 
the encampments of the Ben-i-Sakr. We made a 



345 



circuitous route to the river, in order to avoid these 
formidable Arabs, crossed it below Bisan, and skirted 
the mountains to the south of that town. About 
the middle of the day Giorgio complained of being 
extremely ill ; but the dread of being intercepted by 
the Bedouins distracted his attention from his own 
feelings, and urged him on. As soon as he thought 
that we were sufficiently remote from them to be 
out of danger, his energies seemed completely ex- 
hausted; he dismounted, threw himself on the 
ground, and declared his utter inability to proceed 
any further. I found his pulse extremely high ; he 
complained of violent sickness, and was so weak 
that he was utterly unable to stand without support. 
Nothing however could be done for him : the day 
was fast declining; Nazareth was still at a great 
distance, and there was not even a hut of any kind 
where we could halt before we arrived there. After 
a short consultation, therefore, we replaced him on 
his horse, propped him up as well as we could with 
the baggage, and fastened him on with straps to 
prevent his falling; and in this way we proceeded 
on our journey. 

Before we arrived at the foot of Mount Tabor 
the night had closed in upon us. A weary ride in the 
dark over steep hills and stony roads still remained ; 
and it was nearly ten o'clock when we reached the 
convent at Nazareth, having been on horseback 
for seventeen hours, without any other intermission 



346 



than two short halts of half an hour each, and with 
scarcely any refreshment. Poor Giorgio was con- 
signed to the care of two lay-brothers, who lifted 
him from his horse and carried him to bed, half 
dead with sickness and fatigue. 



347 



CHAPTER XI. 

ACRE. DEHR EL KAMR. TRIPOLI. 

After a day's repose at Nazareth, on the 21st of 
October I went to St. John d'Acre, a pleasant ride 
of about seven hours ; the former part of the way 
through gentle hills covered with olive-trees, and 
the latter across the plain in which that town is 
situated. I was lodged at the Terra Santa convent, 
and remained there three days, being detained by 
the continued illness of my dragoman. The town 
affords little to gratify curiosity. The traces of 
the siege are almost obliterated ; the old defences 
having been pulled down, and their place supplied 
by a new solid wall flanked with towers and pro- 
tected by a wide ditch. This with a mosque and 
bath were the works of Jezzar Pasha, and are the 
only favourable memorials which that sanguinary 
tyrant has left behind him. The remembrance of 
his severity is perpetuated by the number of his 
victims still to be seen in the streets of Acre and 
in the adjacent villages ; some with only one ear, 
others with but a single eye, and many with the tips 
of their noses snipped off. His favourite minister, 
the Jew Malim Haym, had suffered all these three 
species of mutilation ; but his services were still 
essential to the Pasha's interests ; and during the 



348 



latter part of his life, and the whole of the govern- 
ment of his successor Suleyman Pasha, (who was 
just now dead,) the Malim had the sole direction of 
affairs. He was left to pursue whatever measures 
he thought best ; and I believe that under his ma- 
nagement the Pashalik of Acre was one of the 
best governed in the Turkish empire. Some of his 
relations exercised nearly equal authority in the 
Pashalik of Damascus : and taking into considera- 
tion also the great influence possessed by the fa- 
mily of Picciotto at Aleppo, it might be said that 
at this period almost the whole of Syria and Pales- 
tine w T as governed by Jews. 

In the Pashalik of Acre there was now an inter- 
regnum, and it was doubtful who would be the suc- 
cessor of Suleyman : but among the several candi- 
dates, it was thought that his adopted son Abdal- 
lah Pasha would be the most successful. He was 
in effect soon afterwards confirmed in the Pashalik, 
and commenced his career in the true spirit of a 
Turk, by putting to death poor Malim Haym, to 
whose prudent management he chiefly owed his 
elevation. 

On the death of a Pasha, or indeed of any other 
person holding office under the Turkish govern- 
ment, all the property he leaves becomes forfeited 
to the Sultan ; and while I remained on this coast, 
caravans loaded with Suleyman' s treasures were 
continually passing to Constantinople, and bills on 
that capital were easily negociable. It was to this 



349 



circumstance, perhaps, that I was partly indebted 
for the facility with which I procured a seasonable 
supply of money from our consul Signor Pas quale 
Malagamba, although I had no direct letters of credit 
to him. He had not, I believe, in general the cha- 
racter of liberality ; and I am on that account the 
more happy in bearing testimony to the great rea- 
diness with which he provided me with the " sinews 
of travelling" on this, as on several subsequent oc- 
casions. 

Acre is one of the most considerable ports on the 
coast of Syria, and the principal emporium for the 
commerce of Damascus, caravans regularly passing 
between the two places. Before the revolution a 
considerable French factory was established there ; 
but the merchants were expelled by Jezzar, with 
circumstances of such injustice and cruelty, as 
would fully have warranted the chastisement which 
the armies of that nation afterwards attempted to 
inflict upon him. At present there is a French, 
an English, an Austrian, and a Russian consul, but 
few if any merchants of those countries are to be 
found in the place. 

The town is situated at the northern extremity 
of a bay, the coast of which is for the most part 
flat, sandy, and exposed to westerly winds; but 
there is a small mole, where a few ships may lie 
in safety. The southern side of the bay is termi- 
nated by Mount Carmel, which I did not visit, as 
the weather was extremely hot, my dragoman con- 



350 



fined to his bed, and the ardour of my curiosity 
somewhat abated by the fatigue which I had gone 
through in my late excursion. 

During my residences in the convents of the 
Terra Santa, I expected often to have observed 
that spirit of proselytism which is said to be so 
strong among the Catholic clergy, and which (how 
consistently I will not pretend to decide,) has 
sometimes been imputed to them as a crime. But 
though I have occasionally remained for weeks to- 
gether in a convent, and been on the most familiar 
terms with its inhabitants, it was only once that any 
attack was made on my faith. This happened at 
Acre : My watch being out of order, I inquired if 
there was any one in the place who could repair it ; 
and I was referred to a lay-brother, who had been 
originally a watch-maker, and who still occasionally 
practised, either for his amusement or for some 
trifling gain. Not having learned, however, the sa- 
lutary lesson which the emperor Charles the Fifth 
drew from the exercise of that ingenious art^, 
he availed himself of the opportunity which this 
introduction afforded, of attempting my conver- 
sion, laboured to impress on my mind the spi- 
ritual danger of my situation, and entreated me 
to return, before it was too late, to the bosom of 
the true church. His humble calling and very li- 
mited education had not allowed him the oppor- 
tunity of storing his mind with any new or pro- 
* See Robertson's Charles V. B. xii. 



351 



found arguments; he wisely, therefore, confined 
himself to the old and plausible one, drawn from 
the variations of the protestant faith ; and con- 
cluded almost every period of his discourse with 
the well known adage, " Una via dritta, molte vie 
storte" "There is one straight road, but many 
crooked ones." As he brought forward his opi- 
nions in a mild and inoffensive, though earnest 
manner, I listened to the worthy Fra Vincenzo 
with patience, and felt obliged to him for the in- 
terest which he took in my welfare ; but truth obliges 
me to confess that he did not succeed in correcting 
the errors either of my watch or of my creed. 

At the end of three days, Giorgio not being yet 
recovered, I determined that he should remain be- 
hind, and when well enough come to rejoin me at 
Beyrout ; and I left Acre on the 28th of October. 
The plain which skirts the town is thickly set with 
villages ; a range of hills sweeps round it on the 
north and east sides, and above them the moun- 
tains of the higher Lebanon here and there show 
their rugged summits. At the end of about two 
hours ride we reached its northern extremity, where 
the hills terminate in the promontory of Capo 
Bianco. A steep and rugged path called the Tyrian 
Ladder, led us up to a ruinous tower overlooking 
the sea, whose waves beat against the white cliffs 
from which the promontory derives its name. In 
our way we met with numerous groups of peasants 
of both sexes with asses and panniers, who were 



352 



going to collect the cotton harvest in the plain of 
Acre. We now passed along a rough and rocky 
shore, worn by the sea into innumerable inlets and 
cavities, which latter are used for the evaporation 
of salt. On the declivities on our right we saw 
frequent traces of buildings, pottery, heaps of hewn 
stones, and fragments of columns, attesting the 
former populousness of this coast ; and at length 
from an eminence we caught the view of a small 
town, situated at the extremity of a low neck of 
land. This was Tyre, or Sour as it is now called, 
and I halted for a few minutes to contemplate the 
reduced and mean appearance of the ancient metro- 
polis of the commercial world. On quitting the 
hills, we moved slowly and difficultly over a deep 
sandy plain, till we reached the isthmus which con- 
nects the town with the mainland. This is supposed 
to be the mole erected by Alexander, which in the 
lapse of ages has become a bank of sand ; but it is 
still covered with remains of ancient constructions, 
masses of brickwork, columns of granite, and frag- 
ments of friezes and cornices. It is about half a 
mile in length, and is separated from the town by 
a strong wall and a ditch, which we crossed by a 
drawbridge. 

Sour, which a few years ago was no more than a 
miserable fishing-village, has of late risen to some 
importance. It now carries on a considerable trade 
in tobacco with Damietta ; and I observed a num- 
ber of good houses and magazines which appeared 



353 



to have been lately built. The inhabitants are 
Jews, Catholics, Schismatics, and Mahometans. Of 
the latter, the greater part are Motoualis, a tribe 
- which has been from a very early period established 
in the neighbouring districts, and which, although 
surrounded on all sides by orthodox Mussulmen, 
still preserves its fidelity inviolate to the sect of 
Ali. The Motoualis were once a warlike race, and 
occupied the greater part of the long plain between 
Lebanon and Antilibanus, anciently called the Vale 
of Bekaa or Ccelesyria. In the frequent revolts of 
the inhabitants of Lebanon and of Palestine against 
the Turkish government, they sometimes sided 
with one party and sometimes with the other, and 
were always powerful auxiliaries but their num- 
bers have gradually decreased ; and after many de- 
feats, they have been compelled to evacuate almost 
the whole of the plain, and to confine themselves 
to Sour and some other places on the coast. 

I lodged at the house of the Greek Catholic 
archbishop of Sour, Don Gabrielli, a very fine old 
man, who had studied in his youth at Rome, and 
still retained some knowledge of Italian. His dio- 
cese extends over five or six neighbouring villages ; 
and he was just returned from a visitation, the fa- 
tigues of which had brought on an illness which 
confined him to his sofa. He received me, however, 
with great politeness, and I was provided with an 
excellent supper and comfortable apartment. His 
* See Volney's Travels, vol. ii. 
2 A 



354 



sister, an elderly formal -looking damsel, had the care 
of his household. Knowing the primitive poverty 
of the Church in these countries, I ventured at part- 
ing the next morning to put a golden mahmoudieh* 
into the hands of the archbishop ; and I was pleased 
to find that he received it with great satisfaction 
and many expressions of gratitude. 

Shortly after leaving Sour, we crossed by a 
steep bridge the river Kasmia which flows down 
from Balbec through the plain of Bekaa or Ccele- 
• syria. The road afterwards runs near the sea; 
the hills, which are naked and rocky, sloping 
gently down almost to the shore, till we approach 
Seida, the ancient Sidon, when they recede and 
leave a wide plain. At a short distance from that 
town, in a retired valley on the right, we caught a 
view of the convent of St. Elias, the principal resi- 
dence of Lady Hester Stanhope. The road winds 
round the town through gardens highly cultivated 
and thickly set with mulberry-trees, acacias, and 
bananas. The entrance is on the northern side ; 
and after passing through a narrow bazar, we ar- 
rived at a handsome and spacious khan, built by the 
French factory which formerly flourished there. 
The upper rooms open into an arched corridor, and 
one side of the quadrangle was occupied by the re- 
sidence of the French consul and the convent of 
Terra Santa, in which we procured an apartment. 
The lower part of the building was divided into 
* Twenty-five piastres, — at this time not quite a pound sterling. 



355 



warehouses, some of which were now converted 
into stables for the reception of some Arab horses 
which had been purchased for the French govern- 
ment. About a dozen of these fine animals were 
standing picketed under some shady trees in the 
centre of the khan. 

I was anxious to go from Seida to Dehr el Kamr, 
to pay a visit to the Emir of Mount Lebanon ; but 
as I had no interpreter with me, I was at a loss 
how to proceed, and was on the point of giving 
up the scheme for the present, when I received a 
visit from M. Bertrand a French resident, and 
Signor Biancone an Italian physician whom I had 
seen at Nazareth. These gentlemen very kindly 
removed my difficulties, the former giving me a 
letter of introduction to his brother who was the 
Emir s physician, and the latter offering his own 
dragoman to attend me. 

Thus provided, I left Seida on the 27th October at 
day-break ; and after about an hours ride along a 
sandy beach came to a river called Nahr el Ouali, 
where the Emirs territory begins. Our route lay 
for some distance along its banks, which are very 
pleasant, the valley being covered with luxuriant 
gardens, and the sides of the hills with hanging 
woods. We then turned to the left, and began to 
ascend the mountain ; the general features of which, 
except in the immediate neighbourhood of the 
stream, are rugged and barren, and without any 
beauty of outline. The villages however, which are 

2 a 2 



356 



thickly scattered^ are surrounded by patches of cul- 
tivated ground^ and present an appearance of com- 
fort and industry which denotes that the people are 
more free, and the property more secure, than in 
those districts which are more immediately exposed 
to the stupid tyranny of the Turks. The roads are 
most vile, or rather there are none at all ; the inha- 
bitants considering it a matter of policy to preserve 
their country, as much as they can, inaccessible to 
a foreign force. We frequently had to pass across 
slanting strata of rock as smooth as a flag pave- 
ment, where the horses being unaccustomed to 
such slippery paths were in continual danger of 
falling. The one which my servant rode, did at 
last slide down into a ravine, but happily no da- 
mage ensued beyond the scattering of the baggage. 
We made however but very slow progress, and the 
sun was fast sinking when we arrived at a brow 
overlooking a deep and wide valley, intersected by 
a broad river. On our right we saw on a detached 
eminence the palace of the Emir, and before us, on 
the side of the opposite hill, the town of Dehr el 
Kamr. The river is called Nahr el Damar, and is 
the Tamyris of ancient geography. We descended 
by a very steep path to its banks ; and after crossing 
it, a long flight of steps cut in the rock led us up 
to the town. This is the only mode of making 
roads practised in Mount Lebanon ; and it is diffi- 
cult to say which is the most formidable, the flat 
slippery rock in its native state, or the steep and 



357 



irregular steps which have been cut in it. The 
horses and mules of the country, however, ascend 
and descend with the greatest ease and safety. 

On arriving at Dehr el Kamr I went to the 
Maronite convent, and was introduced into an 
apartment, from the windows of which there was a 
line view of the valley, and of the sloping ground 
between the town and the river, which is laid out 
in gardens cultivated with the greatest care and 
neatness, and irrigated by means of an aqueduct 
which brings water from a distant mountain. The 
Superior of the convent, a plain and simple old man, 
received me with great kindness; and among the 
friars L found one who had lived twenty years at 
Rome, and spoke Italian tolerably well. Several of 
the inhabitants of the place, curious to see the 
stranger, soon afterwards came in under pretence 
of paying a visit to the Superior. I supped almost 
in public; but the politeness which distinguishes 
the manners of all classes in the East prevents on 
such occasions the disgust which we should feel at 
being exposed to the rude stare of vulgar curiosity in 
other countries. Being a fast day, the friars ex- 
cused themselves from joining me at supper; but 
they set before me a variety of excellent dishes, and 
an abundant supply of the celebrated vino oVoro (or 
golden wine) of Mount Lebanon, which very much 
resembles what we call Mountain, though when in 
perfection it is rather stronger, and has a more 
delicate and less luscious flavour. 



358 



The Maronite Church is as ancient in Syria as 
the sixth century. Driven by persecution from the 
cities and the plains, it fixed itself among the steeps 
of Mount Lebanon, where the patriarch still resides, 
and where the great mass of its votaries is collected, 
though some of them are to be found in almost 
every part of Syria. For many centuries the Church 
was independent of the papal authority; but having 
renounced the monothelite heresy*, which was its 
characteristic tenet, a reconciliation was effected 
with Rome, and the pope is now considered as its 
head. It still retains, however, some important 
privileges: among others, the secular clergy are not 
compelled to celibacy. The regular clergy, of whom 
there are great numbers, are of the order of St. 
Basil. Their dress consists of a black gown made 
of goat's hair, with a hood thrown over the head, 
and the waist bound round with a broad leathern 
girdle fastened with a brass buckle. Their convents 
are scattered over the whole of Mount Lebanon ; 
but they are most numerous in the province called 
the Kesrouan, where the population is entirely 
Christian. In many districts, indeed, the friars are 
the only cultivators of the soil, secular motives not 
being found strong enough to induce men to in- 
habit the lonely crags where these industrious and 
useful devotees have placed their nests. 

The next morning we re-crossed the river, and 

* John Maron, from whom the Maronites derive their name, 
was one of the leaders of this heresy. — See Gibbon, cap. 47. 



359 



proceeded to Beteddin the residence of the Emir, 
which stands on the summit of a hill, partially de- 
tached from the surrounding mountains. The pa- 
lace has been lately built; and though small, the 
beauty of its situation and the taste which has been 
displayed in its design and arrangement, render it 
one of the most agreeable residences that I have 
ever seen. It occupies three sides of a court; the 
other side being bounded by a terrace facing the 
west, and commanding a view over the vale of the 
Nahr el Damar, the plain, and the sea. The aque- 
ducts which the emir has constructed branch off 
from the river at a spot about three hours ride 
higher up in the mountain. They supply a very 
large fountain in the centre of the court, and several 
smaller ones in different situations, besides various 
cascades and other ornamental works. The heat 
at mid-day was excessive ; and as we walked along 
the corridors, the dash of water heard in all di- 
rections was delightfully refreshing: the court was 
filled with groups of attendants very gaily dressed, 
and horses richly caparisoned. 

I delivered my letter of introduction to M. Ber- 
trand, and shortly after I was summoned into the 
presence of the Emir, whom I found seated under a 
canopy in a small room very richly furnished, and 
ornamented with mirrors, French clocks, and china. 
He was a mild and agreeable-looking man, between 
fifty and sixty years of age, with a fresh colour and 
thin grey beard. He received me very graciously, 



360 



as he does all English travellers, and repeatedly 
expressed the great regard he entertained for our 
nation. The chief topic of conversation was Sir 
Sidney Smith, to whom the Emir had been under 
great obligations, and to whom, more than to any 
other individual perhaps, the English are indebted 
for the consideration which they enjoy in Syria. 
At the end of about twenty minutes, another party 
of visitors being introduced, I took my leave ; and 
M. Bertrand then conducted me through several 
other rooms splendidly fitted up, and ornamented 
with various articles of European luxury : in one 
of them I observed an organ. We afterwards vi- 
sited the stables and kennels, and saw some very 
fine horses, pointers, and hawks. Hawking is the 
favourite sport in these mountains ; where, in con- 
sequence of the great inequalities of the ground, 
any other mode of pursuing game is difficult and 
dangerous. The hawk is trained to hover over the 
partridges, gradually approaching nearer and nearer, 
till at last they suffer a net to be thrown over them. 
After completing our survey of the palace, we re- 
tired to a large apartment destined for the reception 
of occasional guests, where we sat down to a very 
handsome dinner : and in the evening I returned to 

c 

the convent at Dehr el Kamr. 

The EmirBeshirs government extends from the 
neighbourhood of Acre on the south, to the moun- 
tains beyond Tripoli on the north. It stretches into 
the interior over the Vale of Bekaa to the range of 



361 



Antilibanus, but comprehends a small portion only 
of the sea coast. A part of this territory he holds 
under the Pashalik of Acre, and a part under that of 
Tripoli, on condition of paying a certain annual sum ; 
he receiving the Miri, or land tax, and other imposts 
from the inhabitants. It has been a favourite object 
with himself, as well as his predecessors, to hold his 
authority directly from the Porte ; but he has always 
been prevented from obtaining it by the jealousy of 
the pashas of Acre, who have been used to make 
a considerable revenue by fomenting intrigues in 
the mountain, setting up different candidates for 
the government, and taking bribes from both parties. 
The greater part of the Emir's subjects are Christians ; 
and though himself descended from a very ancient 
Mahometan family, he has embraced their creed. 
He still however adheres to the outward forms and 
practices of Mahometanism ; thus conciliating the 
Christians, who are satisfied with knowing the 
change in his religion, without wishing him to avow 
it, and saving the Turks from the scandal of allow- 
ing an infidel to retain so important a trust. He 
has the character of being a mild and equitable ruler; 
but the history of his earlier career will not bear too 
close a scrutiny. He owes his power to the depo- 
sition of his cousin, the Emir Yussuff * ; and the 
two sons of that unfortunate prince, whom he de- 
prived of their eyes, are still living monuments of 
his cruelty. 

^Mentioned by Volney. See his Travels, vol. ii. 



362 



Though the Christians form the most numerous 
class of the Emir's subjects, the Druses are the 
richest and most powerful ; and his neighbour and 
namesake, the Shekh Beshir, who was of that na- 
tion, possessed much larger revenues and more real 
influence than himself. Of the peculiar tenets of 
these people, little seems to be known ; and Shekh 
Ibrahim, who was particularly well qualified to pry 
into such mysteries, acknowledges that the attempt 
to discover them is almost hopeless. They practise 
all the outward forms of the Mahometan faith, ex- 
cept circumcision, and I did not observe any thing 
in their ordinary habits and customs which could 
distinguish them from other Orientals. The Okkals 
alone, who form a sort of religious order among 
them, are remarkable for some peculiarity in their 
dress, and some austerity in their manners. 

Early on the morning of the 29th October I 
departed from Dehr el Kamr. The road takes a 
north-westerly direction, and soon crosses the ridge 
of the mountain, when a fine view opens over its 
western slope down to the plain and the sea. Its 
sides, although the soil is thin, are well cultivated, 
and productive. Vines and mulberry-trees grow 
upon terraces which are cut in the rock with great 
regularity, as in some parts of Switzerland ; and 
the prospect was now enlivened by numerous groups 
of peasants employed in gathering the mulberry 
leaves. The dress of the inhabitants of Mount 
Lebanon is singularly picturesque ; the men wear a 



363 



short vest and large trowsers of coarse white cotton, 
the manufacture of the country, and a woollen jacket 
called an Abba, which is open in front, comes down 
about to the knees, and has short sleeves reaching 
only to the elbows ; it is generally striped with red 
and black, and the sleeves, the shoulders, and the 
back, are ornamented with embroidery of the gayest 
colours. The higher ranks, all of whom wear the 
national dress, have the embroidery wrought in silk 
and gold ; and there are some of these Abbas made 
for the Emir or designed for presents, which cost 
upwards of a thousand piastres, or thirty pounds 
sterling. The richer kinds, instead of being striped 
with red and black, are sometimes all of one colour, 
or variegated with red and green, and in the sun 
they have a very brilliant effect. The head-dress, 
which is common to almost all Syria, consists of a 
red cap, made to hang down the back like a bag, 
with a purple silk tassel at the end, and a silk tur- 
ban over it, raised up very much in front. The 
Okkals are distinguished by wearing white only, 
The women of Mount Lebanon, as in other parts 
of the East, are dressed more plainly than the men ; 
they wear a simple white gown, slightly confined by 
a girdle at the waist. The Druse women are distin- 
guished by their head-dress, which consists of a 
horn eighteen inches long, projecting over the fore 
head like that of the unicorn in the royal arms ; 
and they pride themselves exceedingly on this 
appendage, inappropriate as we may think it to 



364 



the female brow. It is generally made of silver, 
and is covered with a muslin veil which falls over 
the shoulders, and conceals the face either partially 
or wholly at the pleasure of the wearer. The in- 
habitants of Mount Lebanon appeared to me an 
industrious race, courteous and polite in their man- 
ners, both among themselves and towards strangers ; 
but they have the character, especially the Druses, 
of being restless and turbulent. It is certain that 
they are extremely jealous of Turkish interference; 
and they were not at this time, I believe, very well 
satisfied with their own government, complaining 
of the heavy taxes and imposts to which they 
were subjected, in order to provide for the expen- 
sive tastes of the Emir, or to keep up his influence 
at Acre. 

We descended the mountain by a road, or rather 
by flights of steps cut in the rock, till we reached 
the plain in which Beyrout, the ancient Berytus, is 
situated. In our way to the town we passed through 
a large grove of stone pines, which were planted 
about two hundred years ago by the celebrated 
Emir Facardine, or Fakr-el-din # , who took Bey- 
rout from the Turks ; and I was much struck with 
the extraordinary size and height of these trees as 
I rode along under their stately canopy. About 
sunset we arrived at the town, and halted at the 
house of M. Laurella, a Piedmontese physician, who 

* See Sandys, who was his contemporary, and Maundrell. His 
history may be found in Volney's Travels, vol. ii. 



365 



in his own person united the consulships and re- 
presented the factories of all the European states, 
France excepted. 

Beyrout is a dirty disagreeable place, and presents 
no objects of interest. During the time that it was 
in the hands of the Emirs, it was improved and em- 
bellished with palaces and gardens, which are now 
totally gone to decay : it still possesses, however, a 
considerable share of the trade of the Syrian coast, 
being the nearest port to Damascus. An old Sara- 
cenic castle stands on a hill to the south of the 
town, and is occupied by a Turkish Aga and a small 
garrison. 

On the evening of the 30th October, Giorgio 
arrived much recovered, and on the following morn- 
ing I resumed my journey. After two hours' ride 
along the plain we ascended a rocky hill, from 
the top of which a steep descent cut out in the 
rock leads to the banks of the " Nahr el Kelb," 
or River of the Dog. This road is of Roman 
origin, as several inscriptions of the Antonine age 
testify. On the flat side of the rock are some cu- 
rious Persian and Egyptian figures : the latter are 
distinguished by hieroglyphics, and have been sup- 
posed to be the traces of one of the numerous 
irruptions which the Egyptian kings are recorded 
to have made into Palestine. The river is crossed 
by a bridge of a single arch of peculiar lightness 
and beauty, which was constructed not many years 
ago by the Emir Beshir. Its situation is extremely 



366 



picturesque; the stream runs rapidly over a bed of 
large round pebbles, interrupted here and there by 
fragments of moss-grown rock, and overshadowed 
by plane-trees, oleanders, and various other flower- 
ing shrubs ; and close to its banks are several lofty 
brick arches, the remains of a Roman aqueduct, 
the canal of which being broken, the water rushes 
over, and falls into the river in a lofty cascade. 

The Nahr el Kelb divides the province of Shouf, 
in which Dehr el Kamr is situated, from that of the 
Kesrouan, which is equally under the government 
of the Emir, but is inhabited entirely by Christians, 
who differ little in dress and appearance from their 
Druse neighbours, except that the women, instead 
of the horn on their foreheads, wear a sort of trum- 
pet attached to their ear. Soon after passing the 
river, the road opened upon a retired and beautiful 
little bay, skirted by steep and broken hills, and 
shut up at each extremity by a rocky promontory. 
The sides of the hills were scattered over with 
the white cottages which compose the village of 
Zook, intermixed with groves of dark pines, and 
their pointed summits were crowned each by its 
"toppling convent." The vesper bell was tolling; 
and this cheerful sound, which I now heard for the 
first time after an interval of eighteen months^, 
awakened recollections of distant countries and di- 
stant friends. 

* The province of the Kesrouan is, I believe, the only one in 
the Turkish empire in which bells are tolerated. 



367 



A narrow pass through the rocks conducted us 
from this retired bay into a plain, bounded on 
the right by the mountains, and on the left by the 
sea-shore. We crossed the "Nahr Ibrahim," or 
Adonis river, which is still distinguished by the 
red hue of its water; and arrived soon after at 
Gebail, the ancient Byblus, where a temple was 
dedicated, and periodical rites celebrated in honour 
of the personage from whom the river derived its 
name, — 

" Whose annual wound in Lebanon allured 
The Syrian damsels to lament his fate 
In amorous ditties all the summer's day, 
While smooth Adonis from his native rock 
Ran purple to the sea, supposed with blood." 

Gebail is a small town, surrounded by a wall flanked 
with towers. I did not go into it, but lodged for 
the night in an open coffee-house near the gate : 
it belongs to the Emir. 

November 1st. — Soon after leaving Gebail we 
crossed the bed of a wide river ; and at some di- 
stance further we saw on our left the small town 
of Batroun, the ancient Bostrys, situated on a low 
neck of land. To the northward of this, a lofty 
ridge stretches from the interior, and terminates in 
a perpendicular white cliff called Ras el Shakr, 
which overhangs the sea, and completely interrupts 
the road along the coast. We turned to the right 
at some distance from the foot of this ridge, and 
followed the course of a small stream up a narrow 



368 



valley, in the middle of which, on an insulated rock, 
stands the castle of Temseida, a solid square tower, 
with turrets at the angles, commanding the pass 
into the mountains. A little beyond this we turned 
to the northward, and scaled the high ridge which 
seemed to oppose our further progress. The view 
from the summit extends southward., as far as 
Capo Bianco, and northward to Tripoli. On de- 
scending on the northern side we passed the last 
guardhouse of the Emir, whose jurisdiction on the 
coast ends at this point, though it extends much 
further along the mountains in the interior. 

I reached Tripoli in the evening, and the first 
news that I heard on my arrival there was that a 
rebellion had broke out at Aleppo, whither I was 
going ; that the inhabitants had expelled the Pasha 
and the Turkish garrison ; and that the city was in 
a state of close siege, and quite inaccessible to tra- 
vellers, or even to a courier. This was to me ex- 
ceedingly unwelcome intelligence, as I had desired 
letters and remittances to be sent to meet me there ; 
the want of which, particularly of the latter, would 
entirely derange the plan of my journey. But there 
was no remedy to be found, except in patience, — 
the virtue most frequently called into exercise in 
Oriental travelling ; and I therefore made up my 
mind to wait at Tripoli till the storm was blown 
over, or at least till I could obtain more accurate 
information as to the state of affairs. 

Tripoli di Siria, so called to distinguish it from 



369 



the place of the same name in Africa, is situated at 
the base of a triangular plain, which runs out nearly 
two miles from the general line of coast. The 
southern side of this peninsula is now almost en- 
tirely covered with sand, but there are frequent 
traces of buildings. Along the north-western shore 
there is a range of six strong and lofty square 
towers, built probably by the crusaders ; and at the 
western extremity of the plain is the Marina, or 
port, supposed to be the site of the ancient city, 
where there are some neat houses and a small 
khan. 

The modern town is small, and contains scarcely 
any good houses ; but it is remarkable for a general 
air of neatness and cleanliness, is extremely well 
supplied with water, and has several excellent baths. 
It is surrounded by extensive gardens ; and the best 
houses being mostly situated in the western quarter, 
and near the walls, have the advantage of overlook- 
ing a fine grove of orange- and lemon-trees, and of 
being refreshed by the sea breezes. The gardens 
are irrigated from a small river called the Kadisha, 
which flows through the town, and are consequently 
very productive ; but the quantity of stagnant water 
which this system of cultivation occasions, makes 
the place very unhealthy at certain seasons of the 
year, and ague fevers are extremely prevalent in the 
summer and autumn. The immediate environs afford 
some agreeable scenery ; towards the sea, the banks 
of the river are fringed with trees and shrubs ; and 

2 B 



3/0 



at a little distance above the town, where they be- 
come steeper, there is a small mosque, and a coffee- 
house called Melaoui, in a very pretty situation. 
The greater part of the population of Tripoli is 
Mahometan. The Christians are chiefly Maronites, 
or Greeks ; the Latin church being at a very low 
ebb. There was formerly a considerable trade in 
the shipment of silk to France and England, but 
that has now ceased ; and the principal exports are 
oranges and lemons, which are grown in great 
abundance and of very superior quality, and are 
sent to all parts of the empire. There is also a 
sponge fishery, which supplies one or two cargoes 
annually. The French still maintain a consul here, 
though their factory is reduced to a single merchant. 
M. Regnault, who now held the office, was one of 
the savans who accompanied the French expedi- 
tion to Egypt ; and was afterwards for many years 
consul in Cyprus, where he conducted himself on 
several occasions with so much spirit, and acquired 
so high a reputation, that he was continued in his 
post after the restoration of the Bourbons. But, 
unfortunately, he chose the wrong side during the 
"hundred days;" and in consequence of this error, 
although the recollection of his former services 
prevented his actual dismissal, he was consigned to 
an honourable exile, or what he called a " sepulture 
vivante " at this obscure port. He bore his misfor- 
tunes, however, with the characteristic philosophy 
of his nation; and among different schemes for 



371 



amusing his retirement, he had set up a small print- 
ing press, and published several numbers of a news- 
paper (the first, probably, that had ever appeared in 
Syria), which he called " UErmite duMont Liban" 
As his society was limited to his own secretary and 
cancellier, two old Levantines, the arrival of a stran- 
ger he considered a God-send; and travellers of what- 
ever nation were alike welcome at his hospitable 
table. 

At the convent of the Terra Santa, where I lodged, 
I met with one of those eccentric characters, which 
perhaps our own country alone can send forth. 
The Rev. Mr. S. was an English clergyman, nearly 
seventy years of age, who had taken the pains to 
make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to obtain the cross 
of the order of the Holy Sepulchre, which is in the 
gift of the Superior of the Terra Santa. On his 
arrival, however, he found that this order was ex- 
clusively for Catholics, having never been conferred 
on a Protestant, except in the solitary instance of 
Sir Sidney Smith, who had rendered signal service 
to the guardians of the Holy Sepulchre. Mr. S. 
was extremely disappointed, and thought himself 
much aggrieved that the rule was not relaxed in his 
favour also ; and in order to dissipate his chagrin, 
he made an extensive tour in Syria ; in the course 
of which, being little skilled in any language but 
his own, and moreover of an extremely warm and 
passionate temperament, ill-suited to the tedious 
progress of travelling in that country, he was in- 

2 b 2 



3/2 

volved in perpetual quarrels with almost every per- 
son with whom he came in contact, and was fre- 
quently reduced to circumstances of great embar- 
rassment. At Damascus, for instance, having re- 
fused to pay the muleteers who had conducted him 
thither, they summoned him before the Cadi; and 
on his refusing also to obey the summons, some 
janissaries were sent to apprehend him. As the con- 
vent of the Terra Santa, however, where he lodged, 
possesses the privilege of asylum, the friars shut 
their gates, and the officers were obliged to at- 
tempt an entry through the window of his apart- 
ment. There they found him barricadoed in, and 
ready to receive them ; and he defended himself for 
some time with great vigour, till the friars knowing 
that he had fire-arms, and fearing that some serious 
mischief might ensue, broke open the door of his 
room, and conveyed him by force to the judgement- 
seat. At Balbec he was robbed and left in confine- 
ment by his own servant; and on his way to Aleppo, 
having quarrelled with his guide, he quitted his 
horses and baggage, and travelled for several days 
on foot and alone. Our agent at that city, who had 
been informed that an English clergyman was on 
the road thither, described to me his astonishment, 
when instead of the comely person which he had 
been used to associate with his idea of that respect- 
able character, Mr. S. presented himself at the Con- 
sulate, with scarcely any dress but a Mashlakh of 
the coarsest materials, a large straw hat on his head, 



373 



and a bag containing his provisions slung between 
his legs. He afterwards left Syria, and made a 
voyage up the Nile; during which, disdaining the 
assistance of an interpreter, he had no way of ex- 
plaining himself to the boat's crew but by signs, 
which if they were at all slow in comprehending, 
he sometimes enforced by firing a pistol over their 
heads. A mutiny was very soon the consequence ; 
which was only repressed by the strong arm of 
Belzoni, whom good fortune sent to his assistance. 
In spite of every difficulty and opposition, however, 
he reached the second cataract in safety, and there 
hired a guide to conduct him across the desert to 
Dongola ; his earnest wish being to penetrate further 
into the country than any other traveller had then 
done. It is almost needless to say that the scheme 
completely failed ; the guide kept him wandering 
about till his money was exhausted, and then brought 
him back to Wadi Elfi. He had now returned to 
Syria for the express purpose of seeing Palmyra, 
which he had been prevented from visiting on a 
former occasion ; but was for the present detained 
in this convent by an attack of ophthalmia. 

Tripoli is in the more immediate neighbourhood 
of the highest ridges of Mount Lebanon ; and the 
principal curiosities of that elevated region are 
within the reach of a short excursion ; — the famous 
grove of cedars, the secluded Maronite convents, 
and the village of Eden, whose delightful situation 
has led some persons to suppose it the actual scene 



3/4 



of the loves and errors of our first parents *. I pro- 
cured a letter of introduction to the shekh of that 
village ; and on the 6th of November, the weather 
being still beautifully clear, and as warm as summer, 
I set out on an excursion thither. 

On leaving the town, we proceeded to the east- 
ward over a wide plain interspersed with large groves 
of olives, and then began to ascend the mountain 
by a road abounding in picturesque beauty. In 
some places we passed between cliffs so high and 
overhanging, as almost to exclude the light above 
our heads; and then winding round some projecting 
rock, we saw on one side the rich plains of Tripoli 
varied with dark masses of olive-trees, and bounded 
by the blue sea ; and on the other, the snowy sum- 
mits of Lebanon glittering in the full radiance of 
the sun. After an ascent of about five hours, we 
reached an extensive platform, on which the village 
of Eden is situated, its scattered cottages intermixed 
with gardens and groves of lofty walnut-trees. 

The Shekh Boutrost Keram, to whom I had 
letters, was a middle-aged man, with a fine open 
countenance, and extremely polite in his manners. 

* 1 heard one day at Tripoli, a warm discussion as to the situa- 
tion of the terrestrial Paradise between Mr. S. and the superior of 
the convent ; which an Italian physician, who was present, con- 
cluded, somewhat to the annoyance of the disputants, by a remark 
alike applicable perhaps to many more important controversies : 
" Chi meno ne sa piu ne parla." " He who knows the least about 
it talks the most." 

f The Arabic for Peter. 



375 



He gave me a very cordial reception ; and after 
drinking coffee under a stately walnut-tree, we re- 
tired to his house, which consisted of only a few 
rooms on the ground floor, being intended merely 
for a summer residence, when this elevated situation 
affords a cool and healthy retreat from the great 
heat of the plains. His principal mansion was at 
Sgorta, a village about an hour's ride from Tripoli. 
Soon after sunset we sat down to a supper, for the 
frugality of which the shekh made many apologies. 
The party consisted of his son, a fine boy of about 
thirteen, and a cunning-looking old fellow named 
Yussuff, who had been formerly in the service of 
some Frank merchants at Tripoli, spoke a little 
broken French, and acted as interpreter. The wife 
of the shekh did not make her appearance ; as the 
Christians of Syria, in compliance with the custom 
of their Turkish neighbours, generally keep their 
women in a separate apartment # . 

November 9th. — A little rain had fallen during 
the night, which made me apprehensive that the 
weather was going to change. I determined there- 
fore to pursue my journey without delay ; but the 
hospitable shekh would not allow me to depart, with- 
out promising to visit him again on my way back 
to Tripoli on the following day. 

Soon after leaving the village, we descended by 
a winding path into a deep and narrow valley, 

* This custom, however, is not invariable among the Christians, 
especially in those places which have much intercourse with Franks. 



376 



whose sides were covered with magnificent oak 
woods. Here, in a most retired situation, half hid 
among the trees, and overhanging a mountain 
stream, stands the convent of St. Anthonv of Koz- 
haia, on the spot where that saint is said to have 
spent a part of his life in solitary meditation. It 
contains seventy or eighty resident friars ; and some 
more austere brethren, who prefer imitating closely 
the model of their patron, are lodged in lonely cells 
and hermitages in the cliffs which rise above it. 
The superior received us with great politeness, and 
gave us a very good rural dinner, consisting of 
poultry, vegetables, and salads, and some very ex- 
cellent wine. He alone of all the fraternity was 
entitled to partake of this good fare ; as the other 
friars are restricted by the rules of their order to a 
very homely diet, frequently interrupted by long 
and severe fasts, and are denied even the common 
luxuries of coffee and tobacco. They are not of 
the idle race which is generally supposed to inhabit 
religious houses : being far removed from any town, 
they are compelled to do every thing for themselves ; 
and there are to be found among them carpenters, 
shoemakers, and every class of artificers which their 
simple mode of life requires. Some of them are 
employed in cultivating the lands belonging to the 
foundation, and others in an extensive printing esta- 
blishment, which has for some years been attached 
to the convent, and from which the neighbouring 
Christians are supplied with missals, prayer-books. 



377 



legends of the saints, religious tracts, and such por- 
tions of the Scriptures as are not withheld from the 
laity by the fears or prudence of the Catholic church. 
They are printed in what is called Carshoon, or the 
Arabic language in Syriac characters, which the ge- 
nerality of the people comprehend. The printing 
is very good, the types are founded in the convent, 
and the paper conies from Venice. 

The monks of Kozhaia still pretend to the mira- 
culous power of exorcising and casting out devils ; 
and as the popular belief gives full credit to their 
pretensions, maniacs are continually brought to 
them for cure. Two had been dismissed only just 
before my arrival. The scene of their operations is 
a large grotto excavated in a cliff which overhangs 
the convent. In this dark and gloomy cavern the 
patient is heavily chained, and supplied with very 
scanty fare ; a priest remains constantly near him, 
muttering certain forms of prayer ; and he is from 
time to time drenched with cold water, poured 
over him from buckets. This rude discipline is no 
doubt often successful ; and should any evil spirit be 
found hardy enough to resist the repeated assaults 
of an element so opposite to his native one, the 
monks find a ready excuse for their failure by at- 
tributing it to the patient's want of faith. 

On leaving the convent of Kozhaia we descended 
to the bottom of the valley, crossed the stream, and 
climbed up the rocks on the opposite side, which 
are also thickly overgrown with oak-wood. When we 



378 

reached their summit, the character of the scenery 
quite altered, and the forests were exchanged for 
barren crags spread round in all directions, and in- 
creasing in ruggedness and desolation the further 
we advanced. The road was in several places almost 
impassable, and we were frequently obliged to dis- 
mount and lead our horses. It was near sunset when 
we arrived at Kanobin, the situation of which is quite 
opposite in character to that of the neighbouring 
convent. Kozhaia nestles closely on the side of a 
woody steep ; it is scarcely visible till closely ap- 
proached, and commands no view but over its own 
sequestered valley. Kanobin stands on a bold crag 
overlooking a vast chasm, which separates it from 
the snowy peaks of the high Lebanon. The con- 
vent is small, and a great part of it is excavated 
in the rock. It is very ancient, and may be 
considered the cradle of the Maronite church; 
being the place to which the early founders of that 
sect retreated from the persecutions of the more 
orthodox Christians of the plains. It continued to 
be the residence of the patriarch till the middle of 
the last century, when it was thought no longer a 
secure retreat; as its situation near the eastern fron- 
tier of the mountain exposed it to the attacks of the 
Motoualis from the vale of Bekaa. The patriarchate 
was therefore removed to a convent near the sea ; 
and it is only about eight years ago that it was 
again transferred to its ancient seat. The Patriarch 
John, to whom I was presented, was a fine old man, 



379 



upwards of eighty years of age, with a commanding 
aspect, and a white beard flowing down to his waist. 
He was clothed in the full dress of a rich Turkish 
Aga, except that instead of the kaouk he had on 
his head a crimson velvet cap of the shape usually 
worn by the Maronite clergy. Like most of the 
superior priests of his church, he had in his youth 
studied at Rome, and still remembered enough of 
Italian to welcome me in the complimentary strain 
of that language. My interview with him was short. 
Beinghimself occupied in transacting some business, 
he recommended me to the care of his clergy ; and I 
retired with some of them to sup in an adjoining 
apartment, which commanded from its windows a 
prospect of wild and solitary grandeur. I passed a 
pleasant evening with these worthy ecclesiastics, 
who treated me with the greatest attention ; and, 
what never happened to me before, and probably 
never will again, I was lighted to bed by two Bi- 
shops. 

Noverriher 8th. — -I returned about noon to Eden, 
where the Shekh Boutros had provided a dinner, 
the abundance of which might well compensate for 
the frugal supper of the former evening. Indeed, 
one of the chief inconveniences of visiting in these 
countries is the great exertion which is constantly 
imposed upon the organs of digestion. The break- 
fast, it is true, consists merely of a cup of coffee 
and a small piece of bread or cake, or perhaps a 
few pomegranate seeds mixed with sugar ; but at 



380 



twelve o'clock a dinner is served up consisting of a 
great variety of tempting dishes ; the salads espe- 
cially are among the best I ever tasted, both the 
vegetables and the oil of the mountain being of the 
first quality. At sunset the same substantial meal 
is repeated; and the host would feel hurt if his 
guests did not eat heartily at both. 

The next morning I set off before day-break from 
Eden, accompanied by the shekh. We took a direc- 
tion towards the highest peaks of Mount Lebanon ; 
and after a ride of about two hours and a half, 
arrived at the famous clump of cedars, supposed to 
be the remains of the large forests of that wood, 
which are recorded to have occupied the mountain 
in the days of Solomon and Hiram. The tempera- 
ture, as we approached the snowy heights, rapidly 
changed ; and though at Tripoli, and even at Eden, 
there had not been the slightest degree of cold, we 
were here almost numbed, notwithstanding the pre- 
caution we had taken of wrapping ourselves up in 
thick sheep-skin pelisses. We dismounted from our 
horses, and were glad to sit down and drink our 
coffee by the side of a blazing fire of cedar-wood, 
which the attendants had kindled. I afterwards 
walked round and surveyed the trees. There are 
perhaps about a hundred of them, and some few 
are of extraordinary bulk ; but whether from their 
being of a different species, or from the inhospitality 
of the climate, none of them have the towering 
height and spiry form which belong to the trees 



381 



which hear the same name in our English gardens 
Some of them are of very great age. On one of the 
largest I observed the date of 1678 inscribed ; and 
from the appearance of the figures, I was disposed 
to think that the tree was then nearly as large as 
when I saw it. These cedars have long been sup- 
posed to be the remains of the ancient forest ; but it 
may be observed that they have the appearance of an 
artificial clump ; and if indigenous, it is singular that 
they should occupy one small spot alone, and that 
no others should be found in the neighbourhood. 

At no great distance from the cedars are the 
sources of the Kadisha, and near them the village 
of Besharrai, the highest inhabited spot on the 
mountain. It is the summer residence of a shekh 
and a few of his followers, who retire in the winter 
to the plain, and leave their cottages to be buried 
in the snow, which for four months in the year 
overspreads the whole of this elevated district, and 
which had already rendered the passage over the 
mountain into the vale of Bekaa difficult and dan- 
gerous. 

On the 10th of November I returned to Tripoli; 
and a week afterwards the news of the insurrection 
at Aleppo was confirmed in its fullest extent. The 
Turkish authorities and garrison had been either 
expelled or massacred, and the troops of Kourschid 
Pasha were now blockading the city. As I knew 
the dilatory character of Turkish warfare, I re- 
nounced all hopes of prosecuting my journey in that 



382 



direction; and as all commercial proceedings in Upper 
Syria were at a stand, I had no chance there of 
replenishing my exchequer. I determined, there- 
fore, to go to Damascus, where I hoped to succeed 
in this object, and where I should he favourably 
situated for availing myself of any opportunity 
which might oiler of visiting Palmyra. The Rev. Mr. 
S. was very desirous to go with me to the latter place ; 
but as I felt no disposition to undertake with such 
a companion a journey in itself sufficiently hazard- 
ous, I declined his overtures, on the plea of not 
being able to wait for his recovery. 



383 



CHAPTER XII. 

DAMASCUS. 

On the 20th of November, the weather being still 
very fine, I left Tripoli, and retraced my steps to 
the village of Zook, whose pleasant situation I have 
already mentioned. I there left the direct road to 
Beyrouth in order to visit the convent of Antoura, 
the residence of Monsignor Gandolfi, the apostolic 
vicar or representative of the papal authority in 
Syria, to whom I had a letter of introduction from 
the French consul at Tripoli. It is placed in a beau- 
tiful situation in the hills at about an hour's ride 
from the sea-shore, and commands from its ter- 
raced roof a fine view of the bay and the village. 
The duties of the apostolic vicar in Syria are com- 
plicated and difficult. The whole Catholic church 
of that country, divided as it is into various na- 
tions, is under his superintendence; and he has 
full employment in arranging the disputes and 
thwarting the intrigues of contending bishops and 
patriarchs, and in protecting the privileges of the 
church against the encroachments of rapacious 
shekhs and emirs. M. Gandolfi was peculiarly 
fitted for the office ; as he had lived many years in 
the country, understood the language, and pos- 
sessed much shrewdness and dexterity, united with 



384 



great mildness of temper and politeness of manners. 
His revenues were moderate, and his mode of life 
very simple ; but his hospitality was extensive, and 
his house seldom without visitors from the neigh- 
bourhood. On the day that I was at Antoura he 
congratulated himself on being alone, and able to 
devote a few hours to conversation with a stranger. 
Notwithstanding his remote abode, he took great 
interest in European affairs ; his sentiments on all 
points were extremely liberal; and the Oriental arti- 
fice and intrigue which he had frequent opportuni- 
ties of observing in the clergy of the mountains, did 
not put him in very good humour with his own 
order. His only companion was M. La Grange, 
nephew to the celebrated astronomer, a young 
Piedmontese of very considerable talents, who had 
left his country when it was reduced to its primitive 
insignificance by being detached from the French 
empire, and had come to seek fortune or an asylum 
in the East. 

At a little distance from M. Gandolfi's mansion 
is a nunnery, one of the most popular, as well as 
the largest in the mountain, and chiefly occupied 
by the daughters of respectable families. It con- 
tained at this time about forty nuns. The order is 
that of St. Francis de Salis, the rule of which is 
very rigid ; and the nuns after their noviciate never 
go beyond the boundaries of the small garden and 
orchard which surround the convent. I had brought 
a letter for one of them from her brother, whom I 



385 



had known at Tripoli, and in the evening I went to 
pay her a visit. I was introduced into the parlato- 
rio, and she came accompanied by the abbess to the 
hatch-door. The inner room in which they sat was 
soon crowded with the sisterhood, who reached over 
one another's shoulders to peep at the stranger. 
They all seemed in an extremely merry mood, and 
frequently burst out into loud fits of laughter, with- 
out any apparent cause. I never saw a collection 
of more cheerful faces ; and M. Gandolfi, who su- 
perintends the convent, told me that the looks of 
these fair nuns were not deceitful, but that they 
passed their time very happily, employed in the do- 
mestic affairs of the house, in cultivating their gar- 
den, and in various kinds of needle-work. Monastic 
life in general is, I believe, much more happy than 
our prejudices are willing to allow ; and it seems 
peculiarly calculated to afford a refuge to the 
weaker sex in a country like this, where among the 
middle classes the women, if married, are condemned 
to every kind of domestic drudgery, and exposed 
without protection to the caprice or tyranny of their 
husbands. "Get thee to a nunnery!" are here words 
of no threatening import ; on the contrary, the 
opportunity of being admitted into one is always 
eagerly embraced. 

I staid to dine the following day with M. Gan- 
dolfi, and went in the evening to Beyrout. The 
next morning I set out for Damascus by the cara- 
van route, which leaves the road to Dehr el Kamr 

2 c 



386 



on the right. It required nearly the whole day to 
climb the mountain ; and it was almost sunset when 
we arrived at its topmost ridge, and caught a view 
over the vale of Bekaa and the chain of Anti Liba- 
nus. We halted for the night at a wretched khan 
a little way down the eastern side of the mountain. 
It was quite filled with merchants from Damascus, 
and Mogrebin recruits going to join the garrison 
there ; and I was obliged to sleep upon some bags 
of straw in an adjoining granary. 

November 25th. — I early left this uncomfortable 
lodging, and descended the mountain. The weather 
in the interior had not been so fine as on the sea- 
coast, and as we " passed through the valley of Bekaa, 
we found that the rain had filled the pools/' Large 
tracts were covered with standing water, which we 
crossed on ruined causeways ; and there was a damp 
feel in the air, to which we had been long unaccus- 
tomed. We were about four hours in crossing the 
vale, which is fertile, but not so highly cultivated as 
the mountain. The villages are mud-built, and re- 
minded me very much of those in Egypt. We passed 
theKasmia by an old half ruinous bridge. The ascent 
of Anti Libanus is very gradual. The soil is quite 
different from that of the opposite mountain, and 
the road in consequence much better ; but there 
is not the appearance of populousness and activity 
which is to be observed among the rocks of Leba- 
non. Scarcely any of the ground is cultivated; and 
we frequently rode for hours without perceiving any 



387 



signs of animation, except the eagles soaring over 
our heads, and a few goats browsing upon the short 
grass. The sky today was overcast, and there was 
a sharp easterly wind. In the evening we arrived at 
the little village of Damas, where again we found 
the khan quite fail; and should not have been able 
to procure a lodging, had it not been for the hospi- 
tality of a Turk who invited us to his house. The 
next morning we set out before day-light in com- 
pany with a small caravan of Christians who were 
going from a neighbouring village to Damascus. 
We continued our road for some distance over an 
open down, and then descended into a valley, through 
which flowed a beautiful stream, whose course we 
followed for some distance ; and after leaving it we 
came upon an extensive barren plain with a rugged 
and unequal surface. On a projecting brow at the 
edge of this plain stands a Marabout or Shekh's 
tomb, on the spot, as it is reported, from which 
Mahomet viewed Damascus^ ; — and the view is cer- 
tainly glorious. The morning was overcast, and 
thick clouds were sweeping over the plain below us ; 
but now and then a transient gleam of sunshine 
discovered the domes and minarehs rising as if from 
a tufted forest, which seen thus partially and at in- 
tervals, appeared of boundless extent. A broad road 
leads down from the Shekh's tomb through a large 

* It is a well known story that the Prophet refused to enter 
Damascus, saying that " one paradise only was allotted to man, 
and that he preferred taking his in the next world." 

2 c 2 



388 



suburb to tbe city, which, like all other Turkish 
towns, so beautiful when seen at a distance, dis- 
appoints on a nearer approach. We entered by the 
western gate, and had to pass through the whole 
of the bazar to arrive at the Terra Santa convent, 
which is at the opposite side of the city. Like 
all the Christian houses in Damascus, it is entered 
by a small door scarcely to be passed without stoop- 
ing; but within it is airy and spacious, being built 
round two courts, and containing several very good 
apartments, to one of which I was soon conducted, 
and was glad to take some repose after a fatiguing 
and comfortless journey. 

The next morning I went out to see the return 
of the pilgrims from Mecca. We left the city by a 
gate very near the convent; and after riding for some 
distance under the walls, fell into a road which leads 
to the village of Medoua, and the "Birket el Hadgi," 
or " lake of the pilgrims," where they assemble at 
their return, as well as at their departure. The road 
was covered with camels loaded with baggage, and 
carrying large tartarouans or litters filled with men, 
women, and children, whose sallow looks and dila- 
pidated equipments bore testimony to the fatigue 
and privation of a six weeks' journey through the 
desert. It may give some idea of the numbers of the 
pilgrims and of the vast train of baggage which 
accompanied them, to say, that though they had 
begun to enter the city soon after sunset on the 
preceding day, and had continued to come in almost 



389 



uninterruptedly during the night, yet at noon they 
had not all arrived. The Pasha still remained at 
Medoua; and the motsellim, the mollah, the cadi, 
and all the principal officers and inhabitants were 
gone out to meet him there, and to conduct him 
back to the city. The plain where we halted was 
covered with horsemen, who exhibited every variety 
of costume, from the ragged Bedouin on his half- 
starved mare, to the portly Osmanli moving so- 
lemnly along on his well fed and richly caparisoned 
steed ; while numerous groups of pedestrians were 
strolling about, or sitting cross-legged, smoking 
their nargillays in the shade. The weather was 
finer than it had been of late, and the sun shone 
out in all the splendour of a southern winter s day. 

After waiting about two hours, a cloud of dust 
on the side of the Birket el Hadgi, and the sound 
of distant music, announced the approach of the 
Pasha. He was preceded by a detachment of ca- 
valry, after which came the principal officers and 
inhabitants, riding two-and-two. Being himself ill 
and fatigued by the long and dangerous journey, he 
was carried in a litter slung between two camels. 
This was surrounded by a party of Albanian sol- 
diers ; twelve led horses followed with gilt shields 
hung to the saddle-bow, and another detachment of 
cavalry brought up the rear. The procession was 
numerous, but very inferior to similar pageants 
which I had seen in Egypt. The dresses were not 
so various or splendid as those of Cairo, and the 



390 



Delhis* with their high straight black caps anddin^y 
attire could not be put in comparison with the gay 
mamelukes of Mahomet Ali. 

The flowery descriptions of the Arabian writers 
have raised expectations which the traveller will 
hardly find realized at Damascus. The beauty of 
its situation, the abundance of its waters, and the 
great extent of its gardens and groves, may indeed 
seem to justify the pre-eminence which in our ima- 
gination it has acquired beyond all the cities of the 
East; but there is nothing in its interior to justify 
this notion. In the cleanliness of the streets and 
the solidity of the buildings it must yield the palm 
to Aleppo ; and in magnificence it cannot be com- 
pared to Constantinople. The houses are, for the 
most part, very mean in their external appearance, 
being composed of wooden frame-work, the inter- 
stices of which are filled up with sun-burnt bricks, 
and the whole is covered with a white or yellowish 
plaster, which, however, is generally kept very clean. 
The streets are wider than the generality of Eastern 
cities can boast of, the pavement is good, and in 
some of them there is a broad trottoir. The prin- 
cipal mosque was once the Christian church of St. 
John the Baptist. It is a very fine building, con- 
sisting of a nave and side aisles, separated by ranges 
of columns, and it is surmounted by a lofty square 
tower now used as a minareh. On one side of the 

* Literally €( madmen j" the name generally given to the Turkish 
cavalry. 



391 



mosque is a very spacious quadrangular court, sur- 
rounded by a colonnade of granite pillars, which 
opens into the bazar. 

The bazars are perhaps the finest in the empire 
after those of the metropolis. They are spacious, 
lofty, and extremely well supplied with all sorts of 
merchandize, both foreign and domestic. The shop- 
keepers I found attentive and civil ; though in an 
Eastern bazar one must not expect the prompt and 
bustling obsequiousness of Soho-square or the Pa- 
lais Royal. The Turk or Armenian slowly rises from 
his seat; and probably if you have been before at his 
shop, or are likely to be a good customer, he will 
offer you his pipe ovnargillay, and send his attendant 
to a neighbouring coffee-house for coffee, while he 
is leisurely searching for the article you inquire for 
in the dark recesses of his ill-arranged and crowded 
stall. By the time that you have finished the pipe 
and drank the coffee it is perhaps found ; but to fix 
the price is a still more tedious affair, as the shop- 
keeper is sure to ask twice as much as he means to 
take : and the Levantine dragoman who attends you, 
anxious to show his zeal in your service, will think 
an hours reasoning and conversation well bestowed 
if in a bargain he can save a single para, that is to 
say the thirtieth part of sixpence. 

The great khan of Damascus is perhaps one of 
the finest commercial buildings in the world. Its 
area is nearly equal to that of the Royal Exchange 
in London. It is built of the most solid masonry, 
covered with a vaulted roof, and lighted by a cupola. 



392 



The basement in the interior is occupied by large 
shops like those of the bazar, closed by falling 
shutters, which when let down form a show-board 
for the goods, and a seat for the proprietor. Above 
these shops are two tiers of arched corridors, each 
of which communicates with a range of commodious 
apartments, occupied by the merchants as counting- 
houses and magazines. From these arcades it was 
amusing to look down into the interior of the khan, 
and observe the various characters collected there : — 
the Damascene Turk, distinguishable by the plain- 
ness of his dress and dignity of his carriage ; the 
Bagdad merchant, glittering in gay colours and 
rich shawls ; Jews, Greeks, and Armenians, in their 
sombre blue robes ; Persians, with their black curly 
beards, close vests, and shaggy caps ; Bedouins, with 
their dingy mashlakhs ; Albanian soldiers ; black 
slaves ; and bare-legged porters and camel-drivers. 
Bales of merchandize were lying on the ground, 
and the tinkling bells of the camels frequently an- 
nounced that a fresh caravan was coming to deposit 
its stores : but when in the midst of this bustle the 
Muezzin from the tower of the great mosque an- 
nounced the hour of prayer, business was instantly 
suspended, and the faithful were soon engaged in 
performing their ablutions at the fountain in the 
centre of the khan, or in spreading their satcher- 
dehs* on their shop-boards. 

The baths of Damascus are generally large, well- 

* The carpets used for kneeling upon at prayers. 



393 



served^ and amply supplied with water ; but they are 
old and dingy, and want the cleanliness which we find 
in those of Smyrna or Constantinople. The same 
remark may be made as to the coffee-houses, which 
are, generally speaking, very dirty and shabby. They 
appeared to be little frequented by persons of the 
upper ranks, though often crowded to excess with 
the lower classes of the people, when some story- 
teller was reciting the " Elfi Leilah wa Leilah*" 
or the marvellous adventures of Antar. 

However plain and unpromising the external ap- 
pearance of the private houses may be, the interior 
of most of them is comfortable, of some, splendid. 
They are almost all built on the same plan. The 
narrow door of entrance conducts through a low 
passage to an open court, three sides of which are 
occupied by rooms; in the fourth, and generally 
facing the north, is an open alcove, provided with 
divans and cushions, the favourite place for con- 
versation and repose; while a fountain, which plays 
in the court-yard, diffuses its freshness around. 
The most magnificent house, or rather palace, in 
Damascus, is that of the family of Ben-Adam, or 
" the Sons of Man ;" one of the most ancient and 
illustrious of the Turkish empire, and which has 
given many pashas to the Syrian provinces-}-. It 
occupies a very large space of ground, and is pro- 
fusely ornamented with marble and carved work, in 

* The Thousand and One Nights, 
f See Volney's Travels, vol. ii. 



394 



the richest Arabesque style. The family of the Ben- 
x\dam, however, has been for some time on the de- 
cline; their wealth has considerably diminished; and 
this superb palace, which belongs now to a child, has 
long been untenanted, and is fast falling to decay. 
Of Greek and Roman antiquity there is not a 
vestige at Damascus, unless it be the great mosque, 
which was probably built under the Lower Empire. 
Of the Christian history several memorials remain: 
in the garden of a small house belonging to a Turk 
is a grotto which passes for the house of Ananias; 
at a little distance from the eastern gate of the city 
is a spot which is pointed out as the scene of St. 
Paul's conversion; and a window in a tower in the 
eastern wall is said to be that from which he was 
let down in a basket and made his escape; although 
a lion and fleur-de-lis, which surmount the arch, 
may seem to refer its construction to the romantic 
rather than the apostolic age. 

My first inquiries at Damascus were directed to 
the state of things at Aleppo, but I could obtain 
no accurate intelligence; so open are the people of 
these countries to rumour and fabrication, that 
although the art of printing is scarcely known, it is 
almost as difficult to arrive at the truth of facts, as 
if there was a regular daily press with its train of 
reporters and correspondents. I applied to the Jew 
Salomone, the government sarafF or banker, to cash 
my bills on Constantinople : but he excused himself 
on the ground of having, on a former occasion. 



395 



advanced money to some Englishmen, who turned 
out impostors; and I had therefore no resource but 
to send a courier to my friend Pasquale Malagamba 
at Acre, and make up my mind to remain at Da- 
mascus till his return. The prospect of being de- 
tained there for an indefinite time was not very 
agreeable. There are few places which afford less 
resources to an European traveller. The number of 
Franks, or even of persons able to speak any Western 
language, is exceedingly limited. The French agent 
M. Chaboceau, who had left his country as phy- 
sician to M. de Choiseul before the revolution, was 
a model of the Frenchman of other times, extremely 
polite, and full of anecdotes of the vieille cour ; 
but he was more than eighty years of age, and com- 
pletely deaf. Besides him and the friars, the only 
Franks were M. Beaudin, a very respectable young 
Frenchman, who had been dragoman to Lady Hester 
Stanhope, and was now established as a merchant, 
and two brothers named Contessini, one of whom 
I afterwards engaged as a dragoman. There were 
about eighteen friars, all Spaniards, and the greater 
part of them extremely shy and reserved, spending 
their time in counting their beads, or in other re- 
ligious duties. But the office of superior in the 
convent at Damascus is one of the most important 
that the order can bestow; and the Padre Francesco 
who now held it, was an acute, well-informed, and 
well-educated man ; of whom it might be said, as 
Maundrell said of one of his predecessors, that 



396 



" though he had dedicated himself to the contem- 
plative life, yet was he not unfit for any affairs of 
the active." I was fortunate too in falling in with 
another casual visitor like myself, the Viscount 
Deportes, an officer who had been sent by the 
French government to purchase Arabian horses, 
and who came to Damascus for a few days to in- 
spect the studs of some of the wealthy Turkish in- 
habitants. This gentleman had seen many vicissi- 
tudes in life, and was a very pleasant companion. 
In his youth he had been one of the pages to the 
unfortunate Princesse de Lamballe; and at the re- 
volution he had emigrated, and served in the allied 
armies. He afterwards remained for some years in 
England, but returned to France when Buona- 
parte granted the amnesty to the emigrants, and 
had since been employed in various services. He 
was now considerably passed middle life, but re- 
tained all the energy of youth, and was one of the 
most decidedly national characters I ever met with, 
all the excellencies and defects of his countrymen 
shining out in full relief. 

The population of Damascus has been variously 
estimated at from one hundred thousand to two 
hundred thousand. A great uncertainty hangs over 
this subject in all Turkish towns, where no re- 
gister is kept: but the haratch or poll-tax, levied 
on all Rayah subjects, affords some grounds for 
judging of the Christian population, which is esti- 
mated, perhaps with tolerable accuracy, at twenty 



39/ 



thousand. Of these the Catholics of different na- 
tions form a very large proportion, and the church 
of the Terra Santa being the only Catholic place of 
worship in Damascus, they are all in the habit of 
frequenting it. The friars have a very great influ- 
ence over the whole body, which they no doubt 
employ very much to the advantage of their order. 
Some of the richest merchants in Damascus are 
Catholics ; and I observed that they made almost 
daily visits to the convent, and were treated with 
great attention by the superior. In their turn they 
are extremely courteous to European travellers, and 
much flattered by receiving visits from them. The 
Christian subjects, indeed, throughout the empire 
cling fondly to Frank protection, and are willing to 
hope that it may some time or other be instrumental 
in rescuing them from the oppression of their 
Turkish lords. "Are we not all Christians ?" they 
say ; and in spite of the many bitter lessons they 
have received, it seems that they have yet to learn 
how weak is the band of a common faith in the 
strong grasp of political expediency. 

Damascus being the place from whence the 
pilgrims set out to cross the desert, is called the 
"Gate of Mecca;" is supposed to be invested with a 
character of peculiar sanctity, and may be consi- 
dered as the head-quarters of the high Mahometan 
church. Very little intercourse, except on affairs of 
business, exists between the Turks and Christians ; 
but they live in other respects on very friendly 



398 



terms. The bigotry of the Turk is, indeed, rather 
of a passive than an active nature ; showing itself 
in contempt rather than in violence ; and,, unless 
provoked by open rebellion or by any great outrage 
against his habits or prejudices, it must, I think, be 
allowed (when we consider the high privileges of his 
caste) that he "bears his faculties meekly." He 
punishes, it is true, severely those who blaspheme 
his Prophet, and stigmatizes as infidels and idolaters 
those who differ from him in opinion ; but some 
nations who vaunt the tolerant spirit of their insti- 
tutions have done the same. 

The upper classes of the Turks at Damascus* I 
found uniformly polite and obliging. The most 
distinguished among them was Achmet Bey, the 
head of one of the branches of the great family of 
Ben-Adam, which I have before mentioned. He 
was a man of mean appearance and crooked per- 
son, but had a desire for information, and a fond- 
ness for the company of strangers and travellers, 
particularly Franks, which is very rare in a Mus- 
sulman. To all Englishmen he was particularly 
attentive, professing himself under great obligations 
to Dr. Richardson, Lord Belmore's physician, from 
whose prescriptions he had derived much benefit. I 
frequently visited him, and found him on all occa- 
sions willing to render me any little service I might 
stand in need of. 

In compliance with the prejudices of the middle 
and lower classes, and in consequence of the little 



399 



intercourse which they have had with Franks, 
some usages and restrictions are still kept up at 
Damascus, which have ceased to exist in almost 
every other part of the empire. For instance, no 
one can safely venture into the streets in the Eu- 
ropean dress. I was one day standing in the great 
khan, when an unfortunate Cephaloniote Greek, 
either ignorant of the custom of the place, or vain 
of the Frank clothes which perhaps he had but 
lately assumed, made his appearance in that attire. 
A crowd instantly gathered round him, and the pro- 
cess of stripping was forthwith commenced. His 
hat, an object to him of peculiar pride, but to the 
Turks * of peculiar aversion, was struck off, and 
kicked contemptuously along the ground; his coat 
was rent into shreds ; and he would soon have been 
turned adrift in a state of nature, if compassion for 
my fellow citizen had not led me to interfere in his 
behalf. I desired the interpreter to represent to 
some of the more respectable among the spectators, 
with several of whom I was acquainted, that I was 
persuaded he acted from ignorance, and not in de- 
fiance of the custom ; and as he was under English 
protection, I hoped they would let him go without 
further molestation. This appeal was successful. 
His clothes were unfortunately ruined beyond re- 
pair, but we borrowed for him a large mashlakh, 
which served to cover the little that remained of 

* This aversion is so great that one of their forms of cursing is, 
" May you wear a hat." 



400 



his Frank costume, tied a handkerchief round his 
head, and engaged a Turk to conduct him, terrified 
and crest-fallen, to the house of the Greek arch- 
bishop, to whom he was addressed. 

A great objection also exists to Christians being 
seen on horseback in Damascus; and I therefore 
took care in my rides either to pass through the 
bye-streets, or to go out of the town at the gate 
nearest the convent. I had not been informed, how- 
ever, that both Turks and Christians were alike 
prohibited from carrying arms in the city; and this 
ignorance led me one day into rather an awkward 
adventure. My usual dress was that of a Turkish 
soldier, of which a sword forms a part; and as long 
custom had familiarized me to this apparel, I passed 
for some time unobserved among the crowd ; but 
the dress of M. Deportes, which had been con- 
structed at Marseilles after the most approved model 
of the "Theatre Francois," and which presented 
a grotesque combination of the Oriental and Euro- 
pean style, immediately announced that he was not 
a genuine believer. A few days after his arrival, 
as we were walking together through the bazar, I 
observed among the people an unusual bustle and 
whispering, which increased as we advanced; till at 
last several persons came up to us, and asked the 
dragoman rather roughly, how the Franks could 
presume to carry arms, which are prohibited even 
to the Turks in Damascus. Contessini endeavoured 
to appease them by saying, that we were officers of 



401 



powers friendly to their sovereign, and provided 
with firmans empowering us to carry arms wherever 
we chose. But this explanation did not satisfy them : 
they still continued to follow us ; and though they 
offered neither violence nor insult, their number so 
increased as we passed through the bazar, that we 
were glad to seek refuge in M. Beaudin's counting- 
house, in the upper story of the great khan. The 
crowd came pouring after us through the gates ; and 
I was rather startled at looking down from the cor- 
ridor to see the whole area filled with people, chiefly 
of the lower classes of tradesmen, who were now be- 
ginning to grow noisy and tumultuous. M. Beaudin 
himself soon after arrived, having heard of the dis- 
turbance, and made his way with some difficulty 
through the crowd, who promised however not to 
molest the Franks while they remained in his apart- 
ment, but declared that they should not come out 
without disarming themselves. This he advised us 
to do; but the temper of my companion would not 
allow him to think for a moment of submitting to 
such a degradation. " (7 est le rot mon maitre" ex- 
claimed the indignant Frenchman, " qui ma donne 
mon sabre, etje le portedevant le Pere Eternel" — and 
I, not wishing to compromise the English character, 
declared my resolution to stand by him in language 
as firm, though perhaps less energetic. We prepared 
to sally forth; but Beaudin in the meantime had, 
without informing us, taken the more prudent mea- 
sure of sending a messenger to acquaint the Mot- 

2 D 



402 



seliim with what was going forward; and he imme- 
diately sent back word that he would order out a 
guard to relieve us from our disagreeable situation. 
As soon as this news was circulated, it produced a 
very strong effect: the crowd instantly began to 
disperse; and those who had been the most noisy 
and tumultuous were the most eager to make their 
escape. The assembled multitude, which could not 
be less than two thousand in number, fled like 
sheep at the approach of twenty diminutive Alba- 
nians ; shut up their shops in the bazar with the 
greatest dispatch; and when the guard arrived, most 
of them were already at prayers in the court of the 
great mosque. About a dozen stragglers were ap- 
prehended and conveyed to the seraglio, and a de- 
tachment of the guard escorted us to the convent, 
where we paid for our imprudence in the shape of 
a heavy bacsheesh to the soldiers. This was the 
only mischief that resulted from our adventure; but 
in the evening, the Motsellim sent his secretary, a 
Greek, to apologize for what had happened, and 
to request at the same time, that, as a mark of 
favour to himself, we would comply with the pre- 
judices of the people, and desist from carrying the 
weapons which had occasioned so much confusion. 
— To a request made so politely we of course im- 
mediately acceded. 



403 



CHAPTER XIII. 

BALBEC.-^— MALOULA. 

At the end of a fortnight I received an answer from 
Signor Malagamba, in which he expressed his 
willingness to send me the money I wanted; but as 
he told me that another fortnight would elapse be- 
fore there would be an opportunity of so doings I 
determined to employ the interval in making an 
excursion in the neighbourhood of Damascus. 
Giorgio being again disabled by the ague, I en- 
gaged Giambatista Contessini to accompany me: 
and as M. Deportes was about to return to his 
head-quarters at Seida, we agreed to travel together 
for the first stage. 

We set out on the 13th of December in the after- 
noon, and took the same road by which I had come 
to Damascus. On reaching the shekh's tomb, on 
the brow of the hill, the view of the city and its 
environs, which on the former occasion was ob- 
scured by mist, now lay before us in all the splen- 
dour of a cloudless sky; the groves still retained 
their foliage tinged with the rich hues of autumn, 
and the sun gilded the crescents of the mosques 
and minarehs. We had several companions; and a 
number of led horses with us ; and as we had a 
great deal of broken ground to pass over, our pro- 

2 d 2 



404 



gress was much retarded by the length of our 
cavalcade. It was dark when we arrived at Assa- 
nieen, a little village consisting of a few straggling 
cottages on the side of a steep hill near the banks 
of the Barrady. We were lodged in a house rather 
larger than the rest, but consisting of one apart- 
ment only, which was to serve both for our horses 
and ourselves. In one corner was a large chimney, 
and in front of it the earthen floor was raised about 
two feet above the level of the other part of the 
room. Here we spread our mats ; and with some 
cold provisions brought from Damascus, some rice 
which the cottagers boiled for us, and a bowl of 
punch, we contrived to pass a very comfortable 
evening. After supper some of our party amused 
themselves with singing Arabic songs, to the in- 
finite delight of the villagers, who crowded in to 
listen. The Frenchmen of the party, too, occasionally 
gave us a national air, and the wild mountains of 
Syria echoed to the notes of Henri Quatre and the 
Marseillois Hymn. An Arab dance concluded the 
evening's amusements ; after which we lay down to 
sleep, our dumb companions occupying the lower 
stage of the apartment, each with a sais or groom 
reposing by his side. 

The next morning we were mounted and ready 
for our departure before sunrise. M. Deportes with 
his horses took the road towards Seida, and I pur- 
sued my journey among the mountains accompanied 
by Contessini. We soon arrived at a romantic 



405 



pass, where I observed on the opposite side of the 
river several sepulchral grottoes and the remains of 
an aqueduct cut along the face of the rock. This 
pass opened on an upland plain, from which the 
stream burst down into the valley in a magnificent 
cascade. We soon arrived at Zebdany, a pretty 
village in the plain washed by the river, and sur- 
rounded by lofty groves of Lombardy poplars, which 
grow luxuriantly among these mountains. The view 
from the village down the valley was terminated by 
the snowy peaks of the Djebel Shekh, which is 
situated on the confines of Palestine. We halted 
for a short time at Zebdany, and then pursued our 
course to a little village called Serai, where w T e 
passed the night. All the inhabitants are Mussul- 
man, and as well as their neighbours at Zebdany 
derive their resources from the cultivation of cotton 
in the plain. We lodged at the house of one of 
them, who entertained us very hospitably. This 
was the first day that I had felt a really wintry air: 
there was a sharp frost accompanied by a chilling 
mist in the morning, and a piercing north wind met 
us as we rode along the narrow plain. The snow, 
however, was as yet only to be seen on the tops of 
some lofty and distant mountains. 

December 15th. — At Serai we quitted the plain, 
and a gentle ascent led us to the edge of the moun- 
tain, from whence we had an extensive view of the 
vale of Bekaa and the chain of Lebanon beyond, with 
the snow scattered over its summits, and the village 



406 



of Zahle on its side, glittering in the morning sun. 
In this part of the mountain we found a great 
number of grey partridges, which sprung up per- 
petually at our feet either separately or in coveys. 
The weather had quite changed since the preceding 
day; and though we were now on higher ground, 
the air was mild and balmy as in spring. A very 
gradual descent conducted us down the side of 
Antilibanus to Balbec, where we arrived at about 
three o'clock. The possession of this town, to- 
gether with a large district which is attached to it, 
had long been disputed between two brothers of the 
Motouali tribe. One of them, the Emir Sultan, had 
lately obtained the investiture from the Pasha of 
Damascus ; but his brother, who had still many ad- 
herents, had retired with a detachment of horsemen 
to the mountain, from whence he made excursions 
into the plain, plundering and ravaging without 
mercy. One of these attacks had just taken place; 
and the terrified inhabitants of Balbec had fled with 
their wives, children, and as much of their slender 
effects as they could carry with them, to seek pro- 
tection from the Emir Beshir in Mount Lebanon. 
All the houses were shut up and deserted, and it 
was some time before we could find two or three 
straggling villagers, who, having nothing perhaps to 
lose, had preferred remaining behind. They viewed 
us at first with alarm; but finding out who we were, 
one of them conducted us to the house of the 
Catholic priest, which was deserted like the rest. 



40/ 

All that remained within it was a table, a high- 
backed chair (rather a singular piece of furniture 
in this country), an old missal, and a bottle of sweet 
wine. The doors were unlocked, the windows un- 
barred, and the half-consumed wood which remained 
on the hearth showed how suddenly it had been 
abandoned. Here we determined to fix our quarters, 
as it was by far the best house in the place ; and 
as soon as we had taken possession we were visited 
by the few remaining residents in the town, all of 
whom, excepting two, were Christians. Among 
them was an ancient handmaiden of the priest, who 
on his flight had concealed herself in a neighbour- 
ing cottage, from which she now came forth, and 
undertook to dress for us a fowl and some rice 
which we procured, though not without difficulty. 

The remainder of this and the whole of the fol- 
lowing day I passed among the ruins, of which I will 
not attempt a detailed account. They are known 
to be among the finest remains of the Corinthian 
order now in existence; and the plates of Mr. 
Wood's splendid work may be considered as giving 
a faithful representation both of their original and 
their present state; except, that since his visit in 
1751 they have undergone some further dilapida- 
tions from wanton injury, and from the effects of an 
earthquake. They consist of three temples of dif- 
ferent dimensions. The largest was approached by 
a flight of steps and a portico, which in later times 
has been turned into a fortress by the addition of 



408 



walls and towers. This opened into an hexagonal 
court, and this again into a square court of very 
large size, both of them surrounded by porticoes 
and exedrse, ornamented with columns and niches 
highly decorated. Of the temple itself only six 
columns are now standing^. Its substructions are 
remarkable for some of the largest masses of stone 
which are to be found, I believe, in any building 
known to exist, several of them being upwards of 
sixty feet in length. Just without the verge of the 
court is a smaller temple, in much better preserva- 
tion, as the w r alls of the cella, with most of their 
internal decorations, and nearly twenty columns of 
the peristyle, are standing. A part of the cieling 
also of the peristyle remains, and is of exquisite 
beauty. The portico of this temple, like that w^hich 
opens into the great court, has been converted at 
some period into a fortress, and has wholly lost its 
original form, being incumbered with walls and 
surmounted with tow r ers. 

At some distance from the other remains there 
is a circular temple, of the Corinthian order also, 
which has been converted into a church. An earth- 
quake has curiously displaced a great many of the 
stones with which it is constructed, but no part has 
fallen except the vaulted roof. 

December I/th. — Early in the morning we left 
Balbec; and as the country was infested by the 
strolling bands of the revolted Shekh, we thought 
* In Wood's time there were nine. 



409 



it prudent to engage two armed peasants to attend 
us for the first part of our way. A long but gentle 
ascent in a north-eastern direction carried us once 
more to the exposed and open downs of Antilibanus. 
After riding for several hours without seeing either 
a village or an inhabitant, we approached a chain of 
rocks which skirted the eastern side of this upland 
plain, and which appeared so steep as to form an 
insuperable barrier to our further progress. On 
reaching it we found that our road led through a 
fissure in the rock, on each side of which the cliffs 
rose to the height of more than a hundred feet, so 
perpendicularly as to admit only a glimmering of 
light from the top. This pass was about a quarter 
of a mile in length, nowhere wide enough for more 
than one person, and in one part so narrow that we 
were obliged to dismount and take the saddles off our 
horses to enable them to squeeze through. It was 
frequently interrupted by fragments of stone which 
had fallen from above, and the dripping from the 
cliffs kept up a continual water- course along its 
bed. This natural curiosity is reported by the in- 
habitants to have had a supernatural origin. The 
rock is said to have opened miraculously, to afford 
a passage for St. Thecla when she was flying from 
her infidel pursuers ; and some traces which remain 
of an ancient aqueduct are pointed out as marks 
imprinted by her floating tresses as she ran swiftly 
along: 

" Et levis impexos retro dabat aura capillos." 



410 



The lower end of the pass opens into a narrow 
valley, and an easy descent of about an hour brought 
us toMaloula, after a ride often hours fromBalbec; 
during which, except at a miserable little village in 
the mountain, called Jubbah, we had not seen any 
traces of a human being. 

AtMaloula Contessini conducted me to the house 
of the Shekh of the village, with whom he was ac- 
quainted. We found him suffering under the effects 
of an ague; but he raised himself up from the bed 
where he was lying, and which was screened by a 
curtain only from the outer apartment, and very 
kindly bade us welcome. His wife, with that cheer- 
ful hospitality which characterizes even the poorer 
classes in these countries, immediately set about 
preparing our supper; and after we had waited 
rather longer than in the present state of our ap- 
petite we could have wished, she set before us a 
very excellent chicken pillaff, and a large pitcher of 
wine made from honey, not disagreeable in flavour, 
but extremely powerful in its effects. 

The inhabitants of Maloula, as well as of several 
other villages on the eastern slope of Antilibanus, 
are of a distinct race. They are almost exclusively 
Christian (only one Mahometan residing in the 
village), and their language is supposed to be the 
ancient Syrian. It is extremely corrupted, however, 
and intermixed with many Arabic words, slightly 
altered in their termination. It appeared to me to 
be much softer and less guttural than the pure 



411 



Arabic. The people are all of the Greek church, 
but are nearly equally divided into the contending 
sects of Catholics and Schismatics, each of which 
has its church and convent. The two parties live 
on tolerably good terms with one another, neither 
possessing any exclusive privileges; but once or 
twice a-year there is a sort of amicable contest 
between them. Men, women, and children as- 
semble on the opposite hills, on each side of the 
valley in which the village is situated, one or both 
parties being sometimes reinforced by detachments 
of their friends from Damascus. As soon as they 
are thus placed in array against each other the con- 
flict begins. Fire-works of all kinds, which the 
rude pyrotechny of the country can supply, are 
discharged; large branches of trees are sent flaming 
from the opposite crags into the valley below, and 
an incessant firing of guns and pistols is kept up 
for several hours, amid the shouts of the multitude. 
That party which makes the greatest display comes 
off victorious; and, according to the number of 
squibs, crackers, and fire-brands collected by their 
respective adherents, the pope or the patriarch is 
held to be triumphant. The mode of controversy 
practised by these rustic theologians may perhaps 
excite a smile; but it is at least as humane, if not 
as rational, for them to burn wood and gunpowder 
in honour of their respective creeds, as to burn one 
another. 

On the morning after our arrival, Contessini's 



412 



horse fell ill. He refused all food: and when we 
attempted to lead him out of the stable or shed 
where he had passed the night, we found him com- 
pletely stiff in all his joints and scarcely able to 
move. As this attack was evidently caused by cold 
and fatigue, I recommended immediate warm cloth- 
ing and friction of the limbs; but my suggestions 
were not for a moment attended to. Both the 
owner of the horse and the village farriers who 
were called in, decided at once that the calamity 
must have been occasioned by the " evil eye," and 
could only be removed by some counter-spell. The 
charm which they had recourse to reminded me of 
antiquity : 

" Sparge molam, et fragiles incende bitumine lauros." 
In a small chafing-dish they put a mixture of 
flour, salt, and dried olive-leaves, set fire to them, 
and carried them while burning three times round 
the animal, walking with a measured step. The 
cure was not so immediate as was expected: but the 
next day, probably from rest or an effort of nature, 
the disorder was materially diminished; and the be- 
lief in the efficacy of the remedy proportionately 
confirmed. 

The village of Maloula is placed in a very pictu- 
resque situation, some of the houses being built on 
terraces one above the other, and some perched 
singly among craggy and abrupt rocks. The banks 
of the stream below are thickly set with planes, 
poplars, and other trees; and the mountain is very 



413 



steep on the opposite side. A number of small 
tombs are excavated in it; and I observed two 
niches, each containing a mutilated statue, over 
one of which was an inscription quite illegible. 

At the head of the valley, and just before enter- 
ing the remarkable passage which I have already- 
mentioned, a steep path carried us up to the con- 
vent of St. Thecla, which is placed on the brow of 
a projecting rock, with a precipice below and a 
high perpendicular cliff above it. This saint is 
held in especial veneration by the Greek church. 
Her shrine is in a grotto, which we approached 
through a corridor cut in the rock ; and close to 
it is a well, the water of which is supposed to 
possess extraordinary and supernatural efficacy in 
the cure of wounds, diseases, and even madness. 
The convent is in the hands of the Schismatics. 
It is small, and was now inhabited by one friar only, 
who received us very cordially, and set before us 
the simple refreshments which it afforded. These 
consisted of eggs, nuts, and wild honey ; the latter 
is collected among the surrounding cliffs, and is of 
very exquisite flavour. 

On leaving this convent we descended again into 
the valley, and entered the cleft in the rock through 
which we had come the preceding evening, and 
which was now nearly closed up by a large stone 
having fallen from the cliffs above during the night. 
We had reason to congratulate ourselves that it did 
not fall a few hours sooner, or we should have been 



414 



utterly unable to pass through with our horses. 
These accidents are of frequent occurrence ; and 
whenever they happen, the villagers are all obliged 
to set to work and open the communication as 
soon as possible ; for should a Turkish courier hap- 
pen to be detained on his passage, it would afford 
a very favourable pretext for an Avaniah*. 

The upper end of this pass opened on a high 
down commanding a fine view down the valley, and 
covered with a beautiful turf broken at intervals by 
rocks projecting a few feet above the surface. 
Most of these had been hewn out into sepulchres, 
and in one of them I found a Greek inscription 
tolerably preserved. They have now changed their 
destination, and are almost all occupied by the wine- 
presses of the villagers :— the spirit of a Bacchana- 
lian might be consoled for the violation of his 
tomb by the thought of its being employed for 
such a purpose. 

At the edge of the down, and just above the 
village, is the Greek Catholic convent, a large sub- 
stantial building, which was now occupied by two 
ecclesiastics and a lay brother. We halted there, 
and were introduced to the president, whom we 
found sitting in a room filled with books and 
writings, the former chiefly the religious and de- 
votional productions which issue from the presses 
of Mount Lebanon. He invited us to stay supper, 
and in the meantime coffee, pipes, and a dessert of 
* A fine or contribution, 



415 



dried fruits were handed round. At sunset prayers 
were announced by the ringing of a bell; and after 
drinking a small glass of aqua vitse by way of pre- 
paration, we repaired to the chapel, an old vaulted 
building, whose large dimensions and numerous 
stalls indicated the former importance of the con- 
vent. On the walls there were some tolerable 
pictures in the Greek style, without any relief, and 
copiously ornamented with gilding. The ceremony 
was not of the most imposing character. The 
prayers were muttered over by the junior priest with 
extraordinary rapidity, while a ragged boy, who held 
the light, kept grinning during the whole perform- 
ance. After leaving the chapel another glass of aqua 
vitae was handed round, and we then sat down to 
supper. Each person had a dish of boiled rice 
placed before him, together with a small plate _of 
very savoury stewed fowl. A dish of kubbah*, and 
another of kabob succeeded; and the wine, which 
was of tolerably good quality, was circulated very 
freely. Whenever the cup came round to Padre De- 
metrio, one of the friars, he prefaced his copious 
draught by a verse of an Arabic hymn in praise of 
the Virgin, which he sung in the usual style of the 
country, with a constant effort to strain his voice 
to the highest and sharpest pitch. Some of the 
airs were wild and plaintive, and the subject did 

* Kubbah is the staple article of food in this part of Syria : it is 
composed of rice^ chopped meat, and other ingredients, formed 
into large round balls, and boiled. 



416 



not appear to be thought at all unsuitable to the 
occasion. 

About two hours after sunset we took leave of 
our good-natured hosts, and the lay brother con- 
ducted us by the light of an immense firebrand 
down a steep craggy path to the village. Our 
labours, however, were not yet ended. The Shekh, 
not knowing that we should be detained at the con- 
vent, had provided a large supper against our return ; 
and though the greater part of the day had already 
been spent in eating and drinking, ceremony com- 
pelled me to partake of it even at the risk of indi- 
gestion. In travelling in these countries the change 
is often so sudden, from great fatigue to perfect rest, 
and from extreme abstinence to extreme repletion, 
that it requires some strength of constitution to 
bear it without inconvenience. 

December 19th. — I had intended to set out on 
my return to Damascus ; but during the night there 
was so heavy a fall of snow that it was impossible 
to stir, and I was obliged to pass this and the fol- 
lowing day in the cottage, talking broken Arabic 
with the women and children, while the poor Shekh 
lay in his bed in the corner of the room, groaning 
from time to time most piteously. 

December 21st. — I was so thoroughly weary of 
my present situation, that although the weather still 
continued unfavourable, I was determined at all 
events to return to Damascus ; but soon after we 
set out, a violent storm of driving rain intermixed 



417 



with sleet and snow, came on, and at length com- 
pelled us to halt at Sidnaia, another Syrian village, 
situated lower down in the mountain, but still much 
elevated above the plain. The Greek priest to 
whom we were directed was absent from home, 
but his wife and sister, who were left in charge of 
his house, received us with great kindness; and I 
determined to remain there till the following morn- 
ing, when the inclemency of the weather might in 
some degree have abated. At Sidnaia there is a 
very ancient Greek convent, and a Roman tomb ex- 
tremely well preserved, but without any inscription. 

December 22nd. — -The day was lowering and 
threatened rain, but only a few light showers fell. 
At about two hours from Sidnaia we came to a 
stream whose course we followed down a pleasant 
valley, which opened on the plain of Damascus ; and 
about three o'clock I arrived at the convent, fully 
prepared to enjoy an interval of repose, after the 
fatigue of this excursion. 

December 25th. — I attended high mass in the 
conventual church, which was thronged with men, 
women, and children. The service was performed 
by the Superior, Padre Francesco, in the Arabic lan- 
guage, and in a very impressive manner. Rather an 
odd effect was produced by the Psalms being set to 
waltz tunes ; but the only instrument the friars pos- 
sessed was a barrel-organ, which was not capable 
of playing any other. The lessons were given in 
Arabic by a younger priest, who seemed to suffer 



418 

extreme embarrassment in reading that most diffi- 
cult language^ the true pronunciation of which has 
scarcely ever been attained by an European. Shekh 
Ibrahim is almost the only traveller on record who 
succeeded in passing for a native ; and of the twenty 
or thirty ecclesiastics who were now studying at 
Damascus, I was told that there were not more than 
two or three who had arrived at any proficiency. 
In addition to the guttural sounds which appear to 
be scarcely attainable by a foreigner, the number of 
terms, which with the slightest variation of accent 
have totally different significations, is so great, as 
almost to countenance the remark which I once 
heard made by an ingenious traveller, that "in 
Arabic any word may mean any thing." 



419 



CHAPTER XIV. 

PALMYRA. 

One of the first questions that I asked on my ar- 
rival at Damascus was, cc Can I go to Palmyra?" 
But as the journey had been reported to be dan- 
gerous, if not impracticable, in consequence of a 
serious affray which had happened the year before 
between a party of Englishmen # and some Arabs 
whom they employed as guides, I was prepared to 
receive an answer in the negative. I found, how- 
ever, to my great satisfaction, that I had arrived at 
a favourable moment, and that there was now at 
Damascus a shekh of the tribe of Melhem, one of 
the most powerful of the Anazee Bedouins, who 
would be able to secure me a safe passage through 
the desert. He had just returned with the pilgrims 
whom he had been employed to escort to Mecca, 
and was waiting to receive the reward of his services 
from the Government. 

I immediately paid him a visit; and after several 
interviews it was agreed that when he left Damascus 
to go to his tents, which were now pitched near the 
banks of the Euphrates, I should accompany him 
as far as our roads lay together, and that afterwards 
he should provide me with a proper escort to con- 
* Mr. David Baillie, Mr. Wyse, &c. 
2 E 2 



420 



duct me to Palmyra, or Tadmor, as he called it, and 
back again to Damascus. 

ShekhNasrwas a handsome man, of about twenty- 
eight years of age, with a quick penetrating eye, olive 
complexion, and a profusion of raven curls hanging 
round his face. His figure was diminutive; and his 
dress a mixture of the Bedouin and the Turkish, 
his striped mashlakh and sheepskin pelisse being 
thrown over a rich silk antari, and his keiffeh bound 
round his head with a muslin turban, instead of the 
camel's hair cord generally used by the Arabs. 

Soon after my return from Maloula I paid him 
another visit, and found him sitting in an open 
divan surrounded by his people, and warming him- 
self over a chafing-dish of hot coals. He com- 
plained of the chilliness of the air in Damascus, 
and of the delays and difficulties which had been 
thrown in the way of his receiving payment for his 
services in escorting the caravan, and which had 
prevented his returning sooner to the warmer cli- 
mate of the desert. His followers too, he said, had 
become quite impatient; and though much better 
fed and lodged in the city, they were sighing for 
the liberty of their native plains. His plan was 
also changed since I before saw him ; as he had 
engaged to convey a rich Turkish pilgrim across 
the desert to Bagdad, and would be obliged to take 
a different route from that which he at first pro- 
posed. In consequence of this arrangement we 
should not be able to travel far together, but he 



421 



would appoint a relation of his own to accompany 
me ; and as the desert was now in perfect tranquillity, 
a single horseman of the tribe of Melhem would be 
sufficient to insure me protection and a hospitable 
reception at the villages through which we might 
have to pass. The right claimed by the Bedouins 
of exacting a tribute from those who pass through 
their territories, has of late years been so generally 
conceded by travellers of all nations, and especially 
by the English, that it may now be considered as 
established; and any daring wanderer who should 
venture into the desert without their sanction, would 
probably have reason to repent his temerity. The 
sum stipulated to be paid in the present instance 
was a thousand piastres, or about thirty pounds 
sterling; which was to include all the expenses on 
the road, except a hacsheesh of fifty piastres, to be 
given to the guide, provided I was satisfied with his 
behaviour. The agreement was to be registered at 
the office of the Pasha's treasurer; and the Govern- 
ment, as well as the shekh, was thus to be made 
responsible for its due performance. Accordingly, 
the day after this interview, I repaired to the sera- 
glio, signed a document which had before been 
signed by the shekh's agent, and placed it in the 
hands of the Jewish SarafF Salomone. 

One difficulty still remained to be overcome, the 
payment of the money; as, in consequence of re- 
peated delays, my remittances were not yet arrived 
from Acre. The friendly Prior Francesco, however, 



422 



accommodated me with the thousand piastres., which 
I carried in the evening to the shekh. I found him 
seated as before, surrounded by his followers ; but 
his countenance appeared to be overcast, and to 
have a more serious expression than usual. On 
inquiring the cause, I found that he had that morn- 
ing received intelligence of the death of his mother; 
and I desired my interpreter to express to him my 
sorrow and condolence at his loss. He bowed so- 
lemnly, and replied with the resignation of a true 
Musulman: " God's will be done, he disposes of his 
creatures as he pleases ; it is he who creates us, and 
he who causes us to die." 

Fresh delays interposed, and it was not till the 
month of January, ten days after this final arrange- 
ment, that we set out from Damascus. My Drago- 
man Georgio being still an invalid, I again engaged 
Giambattista Contessini, who had the recommenda- 
tion of having twice before made the journey to 
Palmyra. 

We set out in the afternoon, intending to join 
the caravan, which had already gone forward, and 
was to halt for the night at a little village about 
three hours from the city, in order to collect the 
travellers and baggage. On arriving there, however, 
we found that the shekh, instead of stopping as we 
expected, had advanced three hours' march further 
towards the desert; and as it was now too late to 
overtake him, I was obliged to pass the night in a 
small smoky chamber in an Arab cottage. At noon 



423 



the next day we reached the camp, which presented 
a scene of great bustle and activity. Camels, horses, 
men, and baggage were crowded together, and 
groups of persons were flocking in from Damascus 
and the neighbouring villages, some to take leave 
of their friends, and some to proceed on their 
journey. A knot of very handsome green tents, 
placed at a little distance from the others, distin- 
guished the quarter of Hadgi Osman, the wealthy 
Turk of Bagdad; and several white and black slaves 
were stationed round to protect the women, who 
were attached to his suite, from the intrusion of the 
multitude. I repaired immediately to Shekh Nasr s 
tent. He received me very politely, and placed 
me beside him. Contessini, who assumed the 
name of Khalil for this expedition, took his seat 
by me. The tent was filled with people, some 
sitting, some standing, and all engaged in very ani- 
mated conversation. Some merchants were anxious 
to avail themselves of the opportunity now afforded 
them for conveying their goods across the desert 
to Bagdad much more rapidly than by the ordinary 
caravans ; but they could not agree with the shekh 
as to the sum to be paid him for his camels and 
escort. I now clearly saw the reason why the latter, 
instead of halting as he proposed at the first village, 
had pushed on as far as a day's march could carry 
him. The persons who had brought their mer- 
chandise to such a distance would of course be 
extremely unwilling to take it back again, and here 



424 



on the borders of his native desert the cunning 
Bedouin might prescribe to them what terms he 
pleased. Accordingly he left the settlement of the 
affair to a Christian agent, whom he had brought 
with him from Damascus, and sat quietly with his 
pipe in his mouth, making only an occasional short 
remark, and completely unmoved by the remon- 
strances of the merchants, though they were en- 
forced by every variety of tone and gesture. In 
the intervals of business he seemed pleased to enter 
into conversation ; and I found him possessed of 
more curiosity and activity of mind than I should 
have expected. He had a tolerable notion of the 
general outline of European politics, and was very 
desirous to acquire some knowledge of geography. 
At his request I drew out for him a rough map of 
the world, which he quickly comprehended, and 
begged that when I returned to Europe I would 
send him one on a large scale. He talked much of 
Lady Hester Stanhope, and said that if I had brought 
a letter of introduction from her, he would have 
sent me to Tadmor free of expense*. He pro- 
fessed great attachment to the English, whom he 
seemed to consider almost equal in prowess and 
consequence to his own nation. " What the Be- 
douins are in the desert," said he, " the English are 
on the sea." Unlike his countrymen in general, 

* This probably was an Oriental figure of speech j but I believe 
Lady Hester had considerable influence among the Bedouins, and 
kept some of them in constant pay. 



425 



who are not very regular in their religious exercises, 
he seemed anxious to show, by the punctuality of 
his devotions, the good effects which had been pro- 
duced by his late pilgrimage. At each stated hour 
of the Namaz*, the slaves spread a carpet at the 
door of the tent, where his ablutions and prayers were 
performed with an almost ostentatious precision. 

But one meal was served during the day, and that 
was a very frugal one, consisting only of a large 
bowl of simple rice pillaff, into which, after the Arab 
fashion, each one of the guests dipped his hand. I 
had sympathized so little with this custom on former 
occasions, that before setting out on the present 
journey I had desired permission to carry a spoon 
with me. Nasr, however, objected, saying that the 
Bedouins did not like to see the customs of the 
Osmanli introduced into their tents. The meagre 
fare to which we were obliged to submit, was in 
some degree compensated by a profusion of excel- 
lent coffee, which was handed round whenever a 
fresh visitor came into the tent. This happened 
every quarter of an hour; and as it would have been 
thought unpolite to refuse, I drank nearly twenty 
cups between noon and bed-time. At about eleven 
o'clock the tent was cleared, and the slaves brought 
in a comfortable mattress and pillow for the shekh ; 
but as I was without these accommodations, I could 
only muffle myself in my cloak, lie down on the 
ground, and bear patiently the cold of the night, 
* The five daily prayers prescribed to the Mahometans. 



426 



which for this climate happened to be unusually 
severe. 

January 8th. — The tent was filled at an early 
hour, and the question as to the hire of the camels 
was again renewed with as much warmth as on the 
previous day. As I knew the pertinacity with which 
an Oriental will carry on a dispute even for the 
smallest sum of money; and as Nasr s board and 
lodging had not given me any strong desire to pass 
another day with him, I determined to leave the 
caravan; and as soon as opportunity offered, I re- 
quested him to appoint me the promised attendant 
for the rest of the journey. With this request he 
immediately complied, expressing at the same time 
his regret that I would not accompany him any 
further; and begging that if satisfied with my guide, 
I would increase the promised bacsheesh to a hundred 
piastres, which I engaged to do. The Bedouin ap- 
pointed for the service soon made his appearance, 
mounted on a fine grey mare. His name was Deb- 
beh ; he was a strong raw-boned man, considerably 
above six feet high, extremely thin; and when lean- 
ing on his spear, he looked, if possible, more like 
Don Quixote than my former Bedouin attendant, 
Mahomet Daoudy. On leaving the camp, we re- 
paired immediately to a village about a mile distant, 
and went to a house belonging to an acquaintance 
of our guide, where the good wife prepared us a 
sweet omelette, which, after the meagre pillafF of 
the preceding day was very acceptable. 



427 



The common dress of the Bedouins consists, as 
I have before said, of merely a coarse long shirt, 
fastened round the middle with a leathern girdle, 
and a flowing cloak called a mashlakh thrown over 
it. Those lower parts of dress, which with us are 
thought indispensable, especially for equestrian 
performances, are among them little used, except 
by the women*. In contemplation, however, of 
the long journey which lay before him, Debbeh 
thought it expedient to equip himself at the village 
with a pair of shirwalls or trousers, for which he 
begged me to pay, in anticipation of his bacsheesh; 
and this trifling circumstance, which I should not 
otherwise have mentioned, was the source of much 
quarrelling and contention during our journey. 
After about four hours' ride we reached Derout, a 
large village surrounded by cultivated grounds, 
where we lodged at the house of an old shekh, 
supped upon a dish of rice and lentils ; and as usual, 
were visited in the evening by half the population 
of the place. 

January 9th. — Our route lay along a plain 
which stretched out between two ranges of sandy 
hills, about fifteen miles distant from each other, 
and extending to the Eastward as far as the eye 
could reach. With the exception of a few patches 
in the immediate neighbourhood of the village, 
the land was entirely uncultivated ; and as we ad- 

* Another instance of the direct opposition which exists be- 
tween European and Oriental customs. 



428 



vanced, it assumed gradually more and more of the 
parched and barren hue of the desert. At a little 
distance from Derout we fell in with three horse- 
men, who had been to take leave of some of their 
friends who were going with the caravan ; and one 
of them, a green turbaned Musulman, invited us 
to his house at Cariateen, the village where we 
were to halt for the night, and which we did not 
reach till it was quite dark, after a weary ride of 
ten hours over a flat uninteresting plain. I found 
the house of our friend the sheriffs, small, dirty, and 
loathsome ; one room with an earthen floor served 
for lodging the whole party ; and there was a 
coarse and half-ferocious look about our host which 
I did not much admire. The next morning when 
I walked out, I found so many better houses in the 
place, that I was vexed with Debbeh for having 
brought me into such indifferent quarters, and be- 
gan to suspect that he might have had some secret 
motives for doing so. 

We remained at Cariateen all the next day. It 
is a large village, containing, as we were told, a 
population of 1500 to 2000, composed of nearly 
equal numbers of Christian and Musulman inhabi- 
tants, who live together in great harmony. Being 
on the edge of the desert, it is a place of great 
resort for the Bedouins, who sometimes come as 
friends, and sometimes as enemies. 

* The descendants, or reputed descendants, of the Prophet wear 
a green turban, and are distinguished by the title of " Sheriff" or 
noble. 



429 



Jan. 10th. — This being the last place on our 
route till we should reach Palmyra, it was necessary 
to supply ourselves with some provisions and wa- 
ter. The former we procured at the house of a 
Christian in the village ; and for carrying the latter 
we purchased three goat-skins, which were to be 
attached to our horses. In the midst, however, of 
these preparations, to my great surprise Debbeh 
refused to proceed any further unless he received 
his Jcarahm, as he called it, the Arabic term for 
bacsheesh. I desired Contessini to remonstrate 
with him on the impropriety of this demand; as 
the stipulated sum of one hundred piastres was not 
to be paid till the end of his journey, nor then un- 
less I was satisfied with his conduct; and he had 
already anticipated a part of it for the purchase of 
the shirwalls at his first starting. At this unfor- 
tunate mention of the shirwalls, the Arab flew into a 
violent passion ; asked whether we thought he could 
make a forced march of ten days without such ap- 
pendages, and declared that he considered them as 
a present from the English Bey, and that he would 
have the whole of the karahm before he stirred a 
step further. Contessini appealed to the group of 
people who were sitting smoking their pipes round 
the embers of the fire, whether it was just that 
Debbeh should be paid until he had performed his 
part of the contract ; and I now saw clearly that it 
was in preparation for a dispute of this sort that 
our guide had brought us to a house where he was 



430 



surrounded by persons of his own faith, who though 
they did not openly declare that he had a right to 
his demand, yet gave a sort of implied approbation 
of his claim by sundry significant shrugs, growls, 
and mashallahs, well known to all who have tra- 
velled among them. I had seen enough of these 
people to know that too ready a compliance with 
their demands is construed into a sign of fear or 
weakness, and leads only to further exactions. I 
therefore determined to resist in the first instance, 
and told Debbeh that I would pay him only the 
half of his bacsheesh, deducting the price of the 
shirwalls. Contessini accordingly gave him two 
sequins, which, with much real or affected indigna- 
tion, he instantly threw into the fire. I took no 
notice of this stage trick ; and soon afterwards our 
host walked out, and beckoned to the guide to fol- 
low him. They remained in conversation about a 
quarter of an hour, and on their return I found 
that my apparent indifference had produced the 
desired effect. Debbeh acknowledged himself to 
have been in the wrong, pocketed the two sequins, 
which one of his friends had rescued from the fate 
to which he had consigned them, and agreed to set 
out immediately. The dispute being thus adjusted, 
about three o'clock we left Cariateen ; and on clearing 
the enclosures around it, found ourselves again in 
the plain, which was now without the slightest ap- 
pearance of verdure. It was partially covered 
with the withered leaves of the kelp plant, which 



431 



grows close to the ground, and resembles it so 
much in colour, that it does not in the least dimi- 
nish the appearance of barrenness and desolation. 

This evening I had an opportunity of observing 
an instance of the extraordinary quickness of vision 
for which the Bedouins, as well as other uncivilized 
nations, are remarkable. As we were riding along,, 
Debbeh suddenly turned round to me with a look 
of great animation, pointed to some distant object^ 
which I could not perceive, and with the usual ex- 
clamation of " Yullah, Yullah," struck the stirrups 
against the sides of his mare, and darted forward 
at a brisk gallop. He had already proceeded seve- 
ral hundred yards when I saw start up a long way 
before him an animal so small, and so nearly ap- 
proaching to the colour of the ground, that I could 
scarcely distinguish it while running, although his 
keen eye had discovered it sitting at the distance 
of nearly half a mile. The rapid bounds of his 
Arab mare soon brought him up with the object of 
his pursuit, and he was several times near enough 
to strike at it with his lance ; but the animal each 
time eluded the blow, and by a sharp turn threw 
its pursuer to a distance, till at last it succeeded 
in creeping into a burrow, full a mile from the 
place where it started. No course was ever better 
contested. The little animal, which was of the 
Jerboa tribe, though not so swift as a hare, yet 
turned and doubled with as much quickness ; and 
the mare, assisted by the admirable horsemanship 



432 



of the rider, wheeled with all the suppleness of a 
greyhound. I could only observe this novel chase 
from a distance, as my horse was too much en- 
cumbered with water-skins to allow me to join 
it. I came up just at the conclusion, and found 
both Debbeh and the mare panting and exhausted 
with the violence of the exertion. After giving 
them a little time to recruit, we rode on till it 
was dark; when we halted for a few minutes to 
eat our supper; and then proceeded, guiding our 
course by the stars, which fortunately shone very 
brightly. At about an hour after midnight we 
again halted, tethered our horses, and lay down to 
sleep in the sand. The night was not very cold, 
but the dew fell so heavily, that though I did not 
remain asleep for more than three hours, when I 
arose it had penetrated quite through my mashlakh, 
and I could literally wring out the sheepskin pe- 
lisse which I wore under it. 

Jan. 1 1th. — Our route still continued at nearly 
an equal distance from two ranges of mountains 
which bounded the plain on our right and left, 
gently converging, and appearing at last to unite 
and to form a barrier in front of us. A narrow 
defile led us through them ; and as it opened into 
the plain on the other side, the magnificent ruins of 
Palmyra gradually displayed themselves. We soon 
reached the tombs, which we passed close on our 
right hand ; while stretched out on our left was a 
countless forest of columns, over which the last 



433 



rays of the winter sun threw a red and melancholy 
gleam. 

Since we left Cariateen our horses had only had a 
little barley mixed with chaff to eat, and about two 
quarts of water each to drink, but they did not 
show any signs of fatigue. They now snuffed the 
warm springs, and carried us thither without any 
guiding. We let them quaff their fill, as the mo- 
derate temperature of the water permitted them to 
do so without danger. When first taken from the 
spring this water has a sulphureous smell and 
taste, which goes off in a great degree after it has 
stood some time. The inhabitants have no other 
to use ; and what remains after they are supplied, is 
not more than sufficient to irrigate some small gar- 
dens, where there are a few stunted date-trees. At 
about half a mile from the spring we passed under 
a lofty Saracenic tower, ingrafted on an ancient 
gateway, and found ourselves in the court of the 
great Temple of the Sun, whose large area is only in 
part occupied by the modern town. We halted at 
the house of the Shekh Derwish, the principal per- 
son in the place. He was a fine-looking young 
man, but had rather a ferocious and insolent as- 
pect, and 1 thought that he received us with an 
unwilling hospitality. From the time of our leav- 
ing Cariateen till our arrival at Palmyra was ex- 
actly twenty- seven hours, of which twenty-three 
had been passed on horseback ; and I had also had 
a violent fall in consequence of the girths giving 

2 F 



434 



way, — a frequent accident with Turkish and Arab 
saddles. I therefore felt much fatigued, and would 
gladly have lain down to sleep immediately after 
supper, but the Manzoul was filled with Bedouins 
and natives, who kept up an incessant conversation 
till midnight. 

January 12th. — In the morning I was awakened 
by a loud talking, and found Contessini and Shekh 
Derwish engaged in a warm dispute. I did not 
augur any good from the surly and dissatisfied 
looks of the shekh on the preceding evening; but 
as I knew that almost all the travellers who had 
visited Palmyra had been exposed to difficulties 
and affronts, I had made up my mind to submit to 
the common destiny, feeling confident that under 
the protection of Shekh Nasr I had no very se- 
rious danger to apprehend. When I inquired the 
grounds of the present quarrel, Derwish replied 
with great warmth, that it was unjust that Nasr 
and his Bedouins should impose a tribute, and 
draw an almost annual revenue from strangers who 
came to Tadmor, while the inhabitants themselves, 
the natural guardians of the antiquities, derived no 
benefit from their visits, but on the contrary were 
obliged to provide entertainment for another's 
guests. " The hospitality of the Arabs," continued 
he, " forbids me to show any incivility to strangers ; 
you are welcome to remain in my house, and to 
eat with me for as long as you please ; but I will 
not allow you to go out to visit the curiosities of 



435 



the place,, unless you pay me the same sum which 
you have paid to Nasr." Having said this, he 
strode away with a haughty glance, leaving the 
Manzoul to myself, Contessini, and Debbeh. I 
was rather afraid that the latter might take this 
opportunity of showing his resentment for my 
having refused to give him his karahm at Caria- 
teen ; and I even suspected that the whole of this 
explosion might be a concerted trick between him 
and Derwish, in order to be revenged upon me : 
but I soon found that my suspicions were unjust, 
and that Debbeh would not forfeit the character 
for fidelity, which is the chief pride of his nation. 
After some consultation as to the course to be 
pursued, we determined to appear perfectly uncon- 
cerned, to defy the shekh to do his worst, and to 
make no promise of bacsheesh: and having thus 
decided, we lighted our pipes and patiently awaited 
the event. In about an hour the shekh returned, 
accompanied by several old men; and Contessini 
thus addressed him : " Shekh Derwish, Masalami, 
(I salute you,) you have threatened to detain pri- 
soners in your house, so long as they remain at 
Tadmor, this Englishman and his attendants, who 
have come hither on the faith of the Bedouin chief 
who is your ally, and of the governor of Damascus 
who is the vizier of your king at Stambouli. You 
durst not do us any harm, because that would be 
an act of rebellion ; neither durst you detain us 
here longer than we like, because the days of our 



436 



absence are counted at the Seraglio of Damascus, 
But you may, it is true, prevent this Englishman 
from seeing the tombs of his ancestors % to visit 
which he has made a long and expensive pilgri- 
mage. Do so — Blindfold him, and carry him to 
what distance you please from your town : — the 
tents of the tribe of Melhem are but two days' 
journey to the eastward towards the great river ; 
we are accustomed to the fatigue of travelling, and 
our guide knows the wells and resting-places : 
thither he will conduct us, and our friend Nasr 
will send us back in such a way that we shall no 
longer have need to ask your permission to see 
what we desire." The assembled elders showed by 
their countenances that the address had produced 
an effect upon them ; and at the conclusion Debbeh 
took the pipe from his mouth, and said emphati- 
cally, " Wullah, — Khalil has spoken well." Shekh 
Derwish maintained a sulky silence; but one of his 
friends replied for him, that he had no intention of 
affronting either the governor of Damascus or the 
tribe of Melhem ; still less did he wish to disoblige 
me, the English being all his friends, and especi- 
ally j" " the daughter of the king," who had been a 
great benefactress to the town of Tadmor ; — but that 

* It is a common belief among the Arabs, that the English con- 
sider themselves to be originally sprung from this country, and 
for that reason are so desirous to visit it. 

f Bint el Sultan, " the king's daughter," the name by which 
Lady Hester Stanhope is generally known among the Arabs. 



437 



he had been overcome by indignation that those 
who resided on the spot should not have the be- 
nefit of showing the curiosities : However, nothing 
more should be said ; we were at liberty to remain 
as long as we wished, and to go in and go out 
when we pleased: but he hoped that we would not 
mention what had happened at Damascus, nor think 
it unreasonable if he looked for a present at our 
departure. — -I replied, that if the Pasha should 
question us on our return as to the reception we 
had met with, we must tell him the truth ; and that 
as to a present, having paid Nasr so large a sum, I 
did not expect to be called upon from any other 
quarter. 

But though I thought proper in the first instance 
to make this answer, I could not help feeling in 
some degree the justice of Shekh Derwish's re- 
monstrances, and some compassion for the poor 
inhabitants of Tadmor, who are not only obliged 
to pay the regular Miri or land-tax to the govern- 
ment, in return for which they receive no protec- 
tion, but are forced to purchase by a heavy tribute 
the forbearance of the wandering Bedouins. Nasr 
alone, received a yearly present of twenty purses, or 
about three hundred pounds ; and the other tribes, 
who occasionally pitch their tents in the neigh- 
bourhood, must also be propitiated. In addition 
to this, many of the Bedouins claim a right of de- 
manding a private tribute from particular indivi- 
duals. One of them whom I saw at the Manzoul 



438 



told me that he possessed three houses in the town ; 
by which he meant that there were three fami- 
lies upon whom he levied contributions, either in 
money, provisions, or forage. 

But notwithstanding these exactions, the inhabi- 
tants of Tadmor are neither poor nor miserable : 
on the contrary, they appeared to possess a great 
share of gaiety and frankness in their manners ; and 
some of the women, (who do not here conceal their 
persons so scrupulously as in the larger cities,) 
I thought very pretty. Their dress consists of 
a simple blue vest ; their black hair is combed 
straight over their forehead, and they wear a ring 
as large as the rim of a tea-cup through their right 
nostril. 

The people of Tadmor derive their revenue partly 
from the manufacture of salt, of which there are 
some large pits near the town, and partly from the 
vegetable alkali which they prepare from the kelp 
of the Desert. These products are conveyed by 
caravans to Horns, where they are delivered into 
the storehouses of the Pasha, who has the mono- 
poly of them, and who sells them at a vast profit 
to the merchants of Aleppo, Damascus, and the 
coast of Syria. 

Shekh Derwish was esteemed a wealthy man. 
He possessed several slaves, and had three wives, 
whose beauty was highly spoken of by his neigh- 
bours. After our dispute he confined himself chiefly 
to his harem, and we saw but little of him. When- 



439 



ever he made his appearance he was very polite in 
his behaviour ; but I could have wished that his 
table had been rather better supplied, as breakfast, 
dinner, and supper alike consisted of thin cakes of 
bread, and dates fried in oil, — a dish which is ex- 
tremely popular in the towns bordering on the De- 
sert, but to which I could never reconcile myself. 

The buildings at Palmyra appear to have been 
all nearly contemporary ; but the obscurity which 
envelops the history of that remarkable city makes 
it impossible to fix exactly the time of their erec- 
tion. Judging from the style of the architecture 
and ornaments, we may pronounce them of later 
date than the temples at Balbec, which are generally 
supposed to have been built during the reign of the 
Antonines ; and there are several indications of the 
decline of taste which soon followed that period. 
They are almost exclusively Corinthian, and are 
among the most florid and highly decorated speci- 
mens of the order. 

The most remarkable ruin is the great Temple of 
the Sun, with its court. The latter is a square of 
about two hundred yards, surrounded by walls, of 
which considerable portions remain, and which were 
ornamented on the outside by alternate niches and 
pilasters. A peristyle runs round the inside of the 
court, consisting of a double row of columns, many 
of which are still standing. The portico, which was 
at the western side, has been almost wholly de- 



440 



stroyed, and the entrance is now through a massive 
Turkish tower, which has been erected on its ruins. 
The temple itself stands in the centre of the courts 
and is seen towering above it from all directions. It 
had a peristyle of forty -one fluted columns, eight 
of which only are now standing with their capitals 
and entablature remaining, but very much mutilated. 
The entrance was on the western side. At the 
southern end of the cella are two Ionic pilasters, 
and at the northern end two of the Corinthian order, 
and the wall is pierced with windows. The greater 
part of the cella has been converted into a mosque. 
The vaulted roof is highly ornamented, and tolerably 
perfect, but it is very inferior in design and exe- 
cution to the roof of the peristyle at Balbec. 

On leaving the court of the temple we passed on 
the left a ruinous mosque, and inclining to the 
northward arrived at an arch supported by square 
piers enriched with sculptured leaves, flowers, and 
acorns in bas-relief, and flanked by two smaller 
arches. The sculpture is coarse, and the centre 
arch is now much dilapidated; the key-stone having 
given way since 175 1, when Wood saw it. Through 
this arch we entered the avenue of columns, which 
is one principal feature of the ruins, and which 
extended for nearly three-quarters of a mile in a 
north-western direction towards the mountains. Si- 
milar avenues branched off from it in different di- 
rections, and at about midway of its length an 



441 



arch opened upon another set of columns arranged^ 
like those at Jerash, in form of a circus, of which 
only five or six are now standing. At the further 
extremity next the mountains, the avenue is ter- 
minated by six columns and a pediment, the remains 
of the portico of a sepulchral building, the interior 
of which is wholly ruinous. 

The only other buildings within the walls, of 
which any considerable portions remain standing, 
are a tetrastyle temple on the northern side of the 
great avenue, a building with a circular end near 
the foot of the mountains, and some small tombs; 
but the whole of the space which they surround in 
their circuit of nearly three miles, is thickly set 
with columns and doorways, still standing, and the 
ground is strewed with prostrate shafts, capitals, and 
cornices. 

The great Temple of the Sun, with its court and 
portico, must, when perfect, have been a magnificent 
pile of building; but the other remains are remark- 
able rather for their number, and for the great extent 
of ground which they occupy, than for their gran- 
deur. The columns, except two or three which 
still tower above their companions, and some others 
which are thrown down, are not more than from 
twenty-five to thirty feet high, and many of them 
are of even smaller dimensions. Almost all have 
the peculiarity of a projection or bracket (probably 
for the support of a statue), at about one-third the 
height of the shaft. 



442 



Of the remains without the walls, the most re- 
markable are the tombs which I have before men- 
tioned, on the sides of the defile in the mountain 
through which the city is approached from the 
west. They are lofty towers divided into five sto- 
ries, each of the chambers being about twelve feet 
by eight, and containing five or six tiers of reposi- 
tories for bodies. On several there are inscrip- 
tions both in Greek and in the enchorial Palmy rene 
character. 

On the highest point of the mountain there is 
a large castle, built , according to tradition by one 
of the Emirs of the Druses. It commands a view 
to the westward as far as the peaks of Mount 
Lebanon, and to the eastward over the whole extent 
of the ruins and the boundless desert beyond *. 

January 15th. — I left Palmyra, but before my 
departure I made the shekh a present of seventy 
piastres, or about two pounds ; with which he was 
so well satisfied, that he condescended to hold the 
stirrup while I mounted. As I had understood that 
some merchants were going from the desert to 
Horns, I determined to pass the night at their en- 
campment, which I reached about sun-set, after 
three hours' ride. 

A caravan presents in the evening a very active 
and cheerful scene. The camels, which had been 

* For further details of the ruins of Palmyra, see Wood 5 — 
whose engravings however, in some instances, give much too 
flattering a representation of them. 



443 



turned out to graze as soon as they had halted and 
been unloaded, now return in separate groups, each 
of which, following the bell of its leader, proceeds 
directly to the spot where its master's tents are 
pitched. When arrived there, the docile animals 
lie down of their own accord in a row, and their 
heads are attached by halters to a rope which is 
fastened to a range of stakes about four feet high, 
extending along the front of the camp. They are 
then fed with large balls composed of barley meal 
and lentils, mixed up with water, which they swal- 
low whole, and are left to ruminate till morning. 
As soon as the night closes in, fires begin to 
blaze in every direction. They are made with dry 
thorns and stunted shrubs collected round the 
camp, and their flames throw a bright light on 
the different groups of travellers who are seen 
squatted on the ground in front of their tents, 
or beside their piles of merchandize, some occu- 
pied with their pipes and coffee, and others enjoy- 
ing their frugal evening's meal. In an Oriental 
company, of whatever class it is composed, the 
harsh sounds of vulgar merriment are never to be 
heard ; a low hum of conversation spreads through 
the camp, and as the evening advances, this gradu- 
ally sinks into a silence, disturbed only by the oc- 
casional lowing of the camels. All those persons 
who have once tried it, and who understand the 
Eastern languages, speak of a caravan as a very 
agreeable mode of travelling. The wild and soli- 



444 



tary scenery through which it generally passes, the 
order and tranquillity with which it is conducted, 
the facility of conveying baggage, and the feeling 
of security which prevails, — amply compensate for 
the slowness of its movements ; and among hun- 
dreds of persons collected from the most distant 
parts of the Turkish empire and the neighbouring 
states, many of whom have spent their lives in tra- 
velling, there is to be found a never-failing variety 
of associates and of anecdotes. 

January 16th. — As we had a very long day's 
journey before us, we determined to set off two 
hours before the caravan. During the night there 
had been a very heavy dew, which was followed by 
a haze in the morning so thick that we could not 
see two yards before us. After riding for about 
an hour and a half, we were surprised at hearing 
voices at no great distance; and the mist dispersing 
a little, we perceived that we had been moving in a 
circle, and had again arrived at the encampment. 
It was now on the point of breaking up, and our 
re-appearance excited a little mirth at our expense. 
Having lost so much time at starting, we were 
obliged to push on with increased rapidity. We 
halted only for half an hour at noon, and frequently 
galloped our horses for several miles together. 
The day was so excessively hot, that we were glad 
to throw off our sheepskins and mashlakhs : and 
in the short interval of our absence, we observed 
that a considerable progress had taken place in ve- 



445 



getation. The grass had in many places sprung 
up several inches above the ground, the bushes 
were beginning to put forth a few buds, soon to be 
withered by the scorching heat of the sun ; and 
now and then a hare skipped across our path, seem- 
ing to rejoice in the approach of spring. At about 
three o'clock we discovered the curling smoke of 
Cariateen ; but distances in the Desert appear always 
less than they really are, and we did not arrive till 
two hours after sun-set. 

At Palmyra we had met with a young Christian 
of Cariateen, who had invited us on our return to 
lodge at his house ; and as we had no inclination 
to return to the miserable cottage of our former 
Turkish host, we gladly accepted his invitation. 
He had arrived at home before us, and we found a 
blazing hearth and a good pillaff, with a bowl of 
Leban prepared for our reception. His wife and 
his sister, who were both very pretty, were dressed 
out in their holiday-clothes to wait upon us ; and 
his mother, a good-natured talkative old woman, 
sat alternately knitting and smoking in the chimney 
corner. Debbeh after supper retired to the house 
of his friend, and his place was supplied by an old 
Bedouin just arrived from the desert, who seated 
himself by the fire with the air of a man quite at 
home, and speedily dispatched the remains. 

My understanding with Shekh Nasr had been, 
that in consideration of the sum paid to him, I was 
to be conveyed to Tadmor and back again without 



446 



any further expense ; and I had therefore thought 
it most prudent to take with me a very small sup- 
ply of money. It turned out on the contrary, that 
I had to pay for every thing I wanted on the road; 
and that at every place where I lodged, a bacsheesh 
was expected ; and I consequently found on my 
return to Cariateen, that I was reduced to my last 
piastre. In this remote place there were no facili- 
ties for negociating bills, or raising money ; and I 
had no expedient left but to dispatch a messenger 
to Damascus, and to reconcile myself as well as I 
could to the prospect of waiting three or four days 
for his return, — a weary interval to be passed at a 
place which offered not a single object of curiosity, 
and among people with whom I could only con- 
verse through the tiresome intervention of an in- 
terpreter. The great civility and attention of my 
hosts, however, rendered my confinement less irk- 
some than it would have been, and several little 
incidents relieved in some degree the monotony of 
the perpetual pipe. 

One evening a large party of the neighbours 
were collected together to listen to the stories of 
Contessini, who was not unskilled in this essential 
branch of a traveller s accomplishments, when we 
were suddenly disturbed by a violent noise in the 
streets. The loud shouts of men were heard, inter- 
mixed with the shrill voice of women ; and as the 
clamour increased, all the company started up and 
rushed to the door, leaving me alone, and not with- 



447 



out some anxiety as to the cause of this sudden 
interruption. It was nearly half an hour before 
Contessini returned and informed me of the cause 
of the disturbance. The town it seemed was under 
a sort of republican form of government, the Pasha 
of Damascus leaving it to the shekhs and principal 
inhabitants to regulate among themselves the col- 
lection of the Miri, or land-tax. The ruling party 
had made a distribution of this impost, which was 
thought unequal ; and those persons who considered 
themselves aggrieved repaired tumultuously to the 
divan, where the elders were assembled, to demand 
a revision of their decree. They were all armed; 
and being cheered on by the women, a serious af- 
fray was at first expected. It ended however with- 
out bloodshed ; a capitulation was entered into, and 
the reformers returned to their houses with the 
promise of a more equitable division. 

Another day, as I was taking ray accustomed 
walk on the terraced roof of the house, I observed 
an unusual bustle in the streets ; and on inquiry I 
found that some shepherds had just come hastily 
into the town, with a report that a party of hostile 
Bedouins was hovering about and preparing to 
make an attack. I soon saw the chivalry of Caria- 
teen issuing from the gates in parties of ten or 
twenty each, amounting in all, perhaps, to three 
hundred horsemen, many of them well mounted, 
some armed with swords and lances, and some with 
fire-arms. As soon as they had cleared the enclo- 



448 



sures, they spread in skirmishing order over the 
plain, till they were lost to view behind some gentle 
hills at a little distance from the town., among which 
the enemy was supposed to be lying in ambush. 
They returned, however, in about two hours without 
having seen the hostile force, which perhaps existed 
only in the fears of the shepherds. Alarms of this 
kind are very frequent at Cariateen ; for the inha- 
bitants being more numerous and better mounted 
than those of Tadmor, and being placed nearer to 
the cultivated country, do not condescend to make 
terms with the Bedouins, but rely on their own 
means of resistance. The walled enclosures which 
surround the town add very much to its security, 
for the Bedouin will never leave his horse; and 
being unable to leap the walls, he is obliged to ap- 
proach through long narrow avenues, where a few 
sharp-shooters may impede the passage of a very 
superior number of horsemen. The inhabitants, 
however, are in general desirous to keep on good 
terms with the wandering tribes ; as they carry on 
an advantageous trade with them, taking their wool 
and goat's hair in exchange for barley, clothes, and 
other articles brought from Damascus. 

As we approached the conclusion of our journey, 
Debbeh's thoughts began to run very much on his 
bacsheesh; and whenever he had an opportunity of 
being alone with me, he put on his most ingratiating 
looks, repeating continually the words " Karahm*, 
* The present ! the present ! — the English are good ! 



449 



karahm, — Ingliz tayib" and the like. This in- 
sinuating manner, coupled with his magnanimous 
behaviour at Palmyra, had, he thought, so far over- 
come my displeasure at his former conduct, that 
having found in the magazines of our host at 
Cariateen a very handsome silk antari, which was 
to cost fifty piastres, he desired Contessini to re- 
quest that I would give it him. " He had received," 
he said, " much larger presents from other English 
travellers ; and how could he dare show himself at 
his tents without some such token of his good con- 
duct, and of my generosity." The question of the 
shirwalls, however, had not yet been finally settled, 
and I was not at all disposed to grant this further 
request. In the evening, while smoking our pipes 
round the fire, he resumed the subject, compliment- 
ing me according to custom, and abusing the drago- 
man, to whom he thought his disappointment was 
to be attributed. Contessini, who on the contrary 
had taken his part in this instance, and had actually 
advised me to give him the dress, was very indignant 
at being thus unjustly attacked, and repelled his 
charge with great warmth. An angry parley en- 
sued, and the Arab at last quite lost his temper. 
"Yah Nazaranni," he exclaimed with a contemptuous 
sneer; and in an instant Contessini started up, and 
drew his sword, and they both rushed out of the 
room followed by our host. The old grudge which 
existed between the Bedouin and the dragoman, and 
the extreme rage which the Eastern Christians 

2 G 



450 



always feel at being called " Nazarene" by a Maho- 
metan^ might have made me uneasy as to the result 
of the encounter ; but I knew that the wrath of an 
Oriental is more apt to vent itself in words than in 
blows, and I was not surprised to see both parties 
return unhurt in about a quarter of an hour. They 
were accompanied by the old Sheriff with whom we 
had formerly lodged,, and by several other neigh- 
bours, both Mussulman and Christian, by whose 
intervention the quarrel was for the time composed; 
but to prevent such another scene, I desired Debbeh 
not to show himself again till I was ready to proceed 
on my journey. 

On the following day, to my great delight, the 
messenger returned from Damascus, bringing safely 
deposited in his bosom a letter from M. Beaudin, 
and a purse containing three hundred piastres, thirty 
of which (or about twenty shillings) I paid him for 
his trouble. The morning after his return I took 
leave of my kind host, presenting him at my de- 
parture with a suitable bacsheesh. His sister at 
parting made me a present of a keiffeh, worked 
with her own hands ; in return for which, as she 
was going to be married, I promised to send her 
from Damascus some ornaments to wear at her 
wedding. During the whole of the way to Derout, 
where we halted that night, Debbeh was silent and 
sorrowful: and in addition to the vexation he felt 
at having lost, as he thought, all chance of further 
bacsheesh 9 his mare in the course of the day fell lame. 



451 



I did not wish, however, to part on bad terms ; and 
when I dismissed him on the following morning I 
gave him twenty-five piastres in addition to the 
shirwalls and the hundred piastres stipulated for. 
With this he took his leave tolerably well contented, 
and in the evening we reached Damascus without 
any other adventure. 



2 G 2 



452 



CHAPTER XV. 

SEIDA. TRIPOLI. LATAKIA. 

In Turkey there are neither Tookes norM^Cullochs; 
and those sagacious persons who perceive danger 
to the state lurking under the doctrines of political 
oeconomy, might be edified by the primitive and 
summary mode in which the question of currency 
is settled in that ancient empire ; though I, who was 
a sufferer by it, could not join in their feelings of 
admiration. The value of the Spanish dollar, which 
is the general medium of exchange in large trans- 
actions, depends on the order of the local govern- 
ments of the different provinces, who vary it from 
time to time as it suits their convenience. For in- 
stance, a short time before the taxes are to be col- 
lected the Pasha will issue an edict depreciating its 
value, which is again increased by the same authority 
whenever any great payments are about to be made 
from the treasury. Unfortunately for me, the re- 
duction had taken place at Damascus the very day 
before my subsidy arrived; and the dollars for 
which at Acre (where the high tariff was still in 
force,) I had been charged seven piastres, here, ac- 
cording to the order just published, were worth only 
six, leaving me with a loss of about fourteen per cent 
on the remittance. I was glad however, under pre- 



453 



sent circumstances, to get my money on any terms, 
and began immediately to prepare for my departure. 

As I had promised to pay a visit to M. Deportes 
before I left Syria, I determined to go to Seida, 
where he was residing; and a good opportunity 
now offered itself of making the journey, as M. 
Beaudin, who had just been appointed dragoman 
to the French mission, was going thither ; and his 
knowledge of the country and other qualifications, 
made him always a very desirable companion. In 
my rambles in the bazar I had picked up, among 
other characters, a Christian youth of Aleppo named 
Yanni, by trade a mender of shawls; but who, 
having been accused (whether truly or not I did not 
inquire) of purloining some which had been en- 
trusted to his care, had fled to Damascus, where I 
found him sitting cross-legged and working at his 
occupation at the gate of the great khan. As he 
was an excellent buffoon, well skilled in all the 
tricks and practical jokes of the country, and more- 
over talked broken French in a most amusing way, 
I thought that he would help to drive away the 
dullness of the long winters evenings on our jour- 
ney, and I offered to take him with us to Seida. 
He gladly accepted my offer ; but said that he should 
not be able to show off his powers of entertainment 
to any advantage unless he had some one with him 
as a "paillasse" or butt to play off his tricks upon; 
and he therefore proposed that we should add to our 
suite a Damascene lad named Jowar, a very simple 



454 



person, whom I had sometimes employed to rub 
down my horses and go on errands, and who was 
now to take the part of clown, and to endure 
(which he did with great patience) the slaps and 
kicks of his harlequin companion. 

On the 1st of February 1820 we set out; and our 
company, if not by its numbers, yet by the variety 
of characters which composed it, reminded me of 
the pilgrimages of former times. It consisted 
of M. Beaudin, (to whom all the arrangements of 
the journey were entrusted,) myself, my dragoman 
Giorgio, and the two jesters; a merchant who was 
going to Beyrout with shawls, silks, and mashlaks 
from Bussora ; a Capuchin friar, and a facetious 
Turkish barber of Damascus. We halted for the 
night at Assanieen, and the next day crossed the 
vale of Bekaa, and reached a small village a little 
way up the side of Mount Lebanon. 

February 3rd. — The morning was extremely wet, 
and we had a very disagreeable ride of about three 
hours up a steep ascent to the top of the mountain, 
and afterwards along a naked down. About the 
middle of the day the clouds dispersed, and the sun 
broke out upon us as we entered a woody glen, on 
the other side of which we saw the village of Mok- 
tarah, the residence of the Shekh Beshir. We halted 
under some trees by the side of a stream which 
rose at the upper end of the glen, and took our 
noon-tide repast; after which, half an hour's ride 
brought us to the gates of the mansion. Beaudin 



455 



was well known there, having been a frequent vi- 
sitor in the suite of Lady Hester Stanhope: but a 
traveller, even without any introduction, is always 
hospitably received ; and the simple manners of the 
East render it easy to lodge any number of guests 
at the shortest notice. It is only to spread some 
mattresses on the floor, and the saloon is imme- 
diately converted into a dormitory. The Shekh's 
house cannot vie with that of the Emir, either in 
grandeur of situation or beauty of design; but it is 
large and substantially built, and capable of being 
easily defended. It commands a view down a plea- 
sant valley, whose terraced slopes, mulberry-orchards, 
and plane-tree groves, reminded us that we were 
again arrived among the peaceful and industrious 
inhabitants of Mount Lebanon. 

The Shekh Beshir, as I have before mentioned, 
was the head of the Druse nation, and by far the 
richest man in the mountain. His real influence 
and power was thought to be greater than that of 
the Emir; and though he was on apparently very 
good terms with that prince, it was supposed that 
his submission was unwilling; and that if oppor- 
tunity should offer, he would aspire himself to the 
supreme power # . He was now absent on a visit 

* A revolution, the particulars of which I am not acquainted 
with, has since taken place in the mountain. The Emir was in 
the first instance expelled, and forced to seek refuge at Cairo j 
but he was afterwards restored, and his rival the poor Shekh 
beheaded by the Pasha of Acre. 



456 



to the Emir; but we had not long arrived, before 
the distant sound of music announced his approach- 
ing return, and we soon saw his train winding round 
the side of the hill above the palace. He had about 
half a dozen attendants on horseback, and forty or 
fifty on foot, all gaily dressed. He was preceded by 
two men beating Turkish drums ; and as he ap- 
proached the gates the rustic infantry filed off to the 
right and left, and fired their guns and pistols in 
the air. 

At sunset we sat down to a very excellent supper, 
and afterwards were invited to visit the Shekh, in the 
apartment where he receives strangers, which was 
small, dark, and dirty, and had for its only ornament 
a French clock, which oddly enough was a present 
from the Pope. It seemed indeed as if the Shekh 
had studiously avoided both in his house and esta- 
blishment the somewhat ostentatious splendour of 
his neighbour the Emir. Even the countenances of 
the two men were in contrast to each other ; — the 
Emirs fair, open, and engaging; the Shekh' s dark, 
aquiline, and repulsive. The conversation turned 
chiefly on the affairs of Aleppo, on which our host 
seemed very desirous to obtain some information ; 
but we could not give him any beyond the rumours 
of Damascus, which, if they had been daily minuted 
down, would have afforded an ample illustration of 
the facility with which the most marvellous tales 
obtain currency in Eastern countries. The Shekh 
pressed us strongly to stay another day at Moktarah, 



457 



in order to see an aqueduct which he had lately 
constructed, and to give our opinion whether it was 
equal to the Emir s at Behteddin ; but the badness 
of the weather on the following morning gave us an 
excuse for avoiding this invidious comparison. 

February 4th. — About noon we left Moktarah, 
and a gradual descent carried us to theNahr el Wahed 
one of the numerous rivers which nearly intersect 
Mount Lebanon from east to west. A violent storm 
overtook us, and we were obliged to seek refuge for 
two or three hours in a little khan in the valley, 
from whence we climbed some steep hills on its 
southern side, and about sunset reached Dehr Mo- 
hallis, a very large convent of Greek Catholics, where 
we halted for the night, and were very handsomely 
entertained, the Superior being an acquaintance of 
our Capuchin companion. The next day we de- 
scended by a steep and rugged track to the valley 
of the Nahr el Ouali, where we joined the road 
from Beyrout, and proceeded along the shore to 
Seida. 

The rainy season had now decidedly set in, and 
there was scarcely a day without frequent and heavy 
showers. Travelling in these countries in such 
weather is extremely disagreeable, and I gladly ac- 
cepted M. Deportes' invitation to stay with him a 
fortnight, during which I spent my time very agree- 
ably in his society, and was much gratified by meet- 
ing accidentally with an old friend, who had come 



458 



lately from England, and was passing down the coast 
of Syria on his way to India *. 

While I was at Seida Lady Hester Stanhope was 
at the convent of St. Elias, her principal residence, 
which is about two miles distant; but as all English- 
men were then under her ban, I did not make any 
attempt to be introduced to her. M. Deportes fre- 
quently visited her ; and two French gentlemen of 
her suite, a father and son, named L'Ousternaut, 
sometimes came to dine with him. The elder of 
these had in early life served a native prince in 
India, and brought back a large fortune ; but having 
lost it in the French revolution he set out to return 
to India over-land to recover some claims which he 
had on his former master. The want of pecuniary 
means stopped him short in Syria, and he lived for 
several years the life of a hermit in the caverns of 
Mount Carmel. In this solitude he employed him- 
self in a diligent study of the Bible; and his ima- 
gination being left to work alone and uncontrolled 
amid the very scenes of sacred history, he at length 
persuaded himself that a new light had burst in upon 
him, and that he had attained 

" To something like prophetic strain." 

Lady Hester had on some occasion pitched her 
tents at the foot of Mount Carmel, when L'Ouster- 
naut appeared before her with his flowing beard and 



* Mr. H. W. Hobhouse. 



459 



rude attire; and she being, according to report, con- 
vinced of the truth of his pretensions, or, as is more 
probable, struck with the singularity of his appear- 
ance, his romantic history, and original turn of 
mind, reclaimed him to the usages of civilized life, 
and gave him an asylum in a house near her own. 

L'Ousternaut had a son who had been a captain of 
cavalry in the Imperial Guard, but whom the peace 
had thrown out of employment; and as just at this 
time Lady Hester had taken a violent antipathy to 
her own countrymen, and a warm partiality to the 
French, particularly to those who had served under 
Napoleon, and whom she denominated " Enfans de 
la gloire" it did not require a spirit of prophecy to 
foresee that he would be a welcome guest at St. 
Elias. Accordingly he soon received an invitation 
to visit his father, and almost immediately on his 
arrival was appointed equerry to her ladyship; ex- 
changed his thread-bare chasseur's jacket for a gay 
Mameluke costume, and became director in chief of 
her whole establishment. 

At a time when Lady Hester was more an object 
of public attention than she has of late been, much 
speculation was excited as to the causes of her 
retreat; and it was by some attributed to a love of 
singularity, by others to disappointment, either in 
ambition, or in a softer passion. To me, I confess, 
it is not a matter of surprise that any person who 
has sufficient intellectual resources to be indepen- 
dent of what is called society, should settle in a 



460 



country like Syria, where with very moderate pe- 
cuniary means, and almost without an effort, a de- 
gree of consideration and importance maybe attained, 
which in England can be the fruit only of great 
wealth or great exertion ; and where the influence 
of the climate alone is in itself almost sufficient to 
produce happiness to those who seek it less in 
activity than in repose. Lady Hester on her first 
arrival was exceedingly courted by the Turkish au- 
thorities, as well as by the shekhs and emirs of the 
mountain ; but, whether from inequality of temper, 
or from too great a disposition to interfere in their 
affairs, she had now ceased to be on good terms with 
almost all the residents in the country; and though 
still treated by them with great respect, she associated 
with scarcely any persons but those of her own 
household. 

February 2 1 st. — I left Seida and reached Bey- 
rout in the evening. A violent rain detained me 
the whole of the next day in M. Laurella's house, 
and on the following day the weather was still so 
showery that I was obliged to halt several times in 
my way ; and though the distance is not great, it was 
late at night before I arrived at the hospitable man- 
sion of Monsignor Gandolfi at Antoura. I found it 
full of visitors, collected together on the occasion 
of the election of a Patriarch for the Syrian church ; 
and the next day at dinner I was introduced to 
the seven bishops who represent that nation and 
form the electoral college. The successful candi- 



461 



date, an ecclesiastic named Gregorio, or in Arabic 
Jowar, had long been ambitious of the honour ; but 
his pretensions had been successfully opposed on a 
former occasion by M. Gandolfi, who thought him 
an ambitious and intriguing person. Being thus 
foiled he determined to visit Europe, where his 
venerable appearance, his pleasing manners, and 
above all, his character as archbishop of Jerusalem, 
would hardly fail to attract attention ; although the 
latter distinction was little more than titular, as the 
Syrian church, if it exists at all in that city, is ex- 
tremely reduced, and the archbishop had never be- 
fore quitted his dignified retreat in the fastnesses 
of Mount Lebanon. He first made his appearance 
at Rome, where he found favour in the sight of 
Pius VII., who made him presents of books and 
other valuables, and recommended him to the king 
of Naples, who bestowed on him still more solid 
marks of his approbation. In France I believe he 
was not so successful ; but on passing over into 
England he was received with open arms by many 
respectable individuals, both of the national and 
dissenting churches. The sanctity of his character 
and gravity of his manners won the hearts of the 
serious ; and his avowed object of collecting funds 
for the purposes of education opened the purses of 
the liberal. Subscriptions poured in, and a printing 
press was provided to assist the arduous ce march of 
intellect" up the steeps of Mount Lebanon. Having 
completed this " circumnavigation of charity," the 



462 



archbishop set out on his return, highly satisfied 
with the success of his tour. That his own family 
might participate in his good fortune, he employed 
a part of the money that he had collected in pur- 
chasing at Vienna a dignity of the Roman empire for 
his brother, who from being magaziniere or ware- 
houseman to a merchant at Aleppo, unexpectedly 
started up a Marquess. The remainder was suf- 
ficient to secure the votes of the Syrian episcopal 
bench, and to obtain for him the patriarchal chair 
this time, in spite of the opposition of the Apostolic 
Vicar ; while the printing press having been broken 
by some accident in the conveyance, was reposing 
quietly at Constantinople. 

I staid three days with M. Gandolfi, and on the 
28th of February returned to Tripoli, after having 
been absent three months instead of thirty days as 
I had intended. On my arrival I found that my 
friends there had given up almost all expectation 
of seeing me again ; as none of the letters which I 
had written from Damascus had reached their des- 
tination, and as some muleteers from that place had 
brought word that I had been murdered by the Be- 
douins on my way to Palmyra. They all very 
kindly congratulated me on my safe return ; and 
my man Biaggio, whom I left at the convent, came 
with great delight to kiss my hand. It was now 
currently reported that the affairs of Aleppo were 
in a train of settlement, but no authentic intelli- 
gence had been received ; and till that arrived I de- 



463 



termined to remain in my present comfortable 
quarters. Tripoli is the place which I should pre- 
fer as a residence to any other on the Syrian coast. 
The town is neat, airy, and quiet; the situation very 
pleasant ; the inhabitants civil and obliging ; and 
the historian is not guilty of any exaggeration in 
saying that the neighbourhood " affords in a narrow 
space every variety of soil and climate, from the 
holy cedars, erect under the weight of snow, to the 
vine, the mulberry and the olive-trees of the fruit- 
ful valley*." 

At the end of about a fortnight the agreeable in- 
telligence arrived that the disturbances at Aleppo 
were at an end, and that the Turkish authorities had 
resumed their sway with fewer acts of cruelty and 
vengeance than generally attend the restoration of 
arbitrary power. 

Having dispatched my servant and heavy baggage 
by sea to Latakia, I set out for that place on the 
28th of March at day-break. For about six miles 
the road runs along the foot of the mountains, 
which afterwards retire to the eastward, and leave 
a wide open plain, across which we passed at a con- 
siderable distance from the sea. This plain is of 
great extent, and is traversed by several streams ; 
in some places it was intersected by bogs and mo- 
rasses, over which our experienced muleteers guided 
us by narrow paths ; in others it was covered with 
abundant crops of grass, clover, and barley. The 
Gibbon, 47, 3. 



464 



scene was here and there enlivened by the green 
tents of the Turkish cavalry, who are accustomed 
to encamp for a few weeks before the violent heats 
of summer come on, for the sake of turning out 
their horses/ of which I saw great numbers, some 
tethered, and some roaming at large in the rich 
pasture. 

On quitting the plain we entered on a range of 
hilly country interspersed with trees chiefly of Va- 
laniah oak, which were in some places scattered 
irregularly over the turf, in others clustered in 
thicker groups, or mixed with underwood so as to 
form impenetrable thickets ; on the northern side 
of these hills we descended into a cultivated country, 
and about an hour after sunset reached a large 
ruinous castle, one of the many relics of the days 
of chivalry which characterize this district. Its 
only inhabitants now were some shepherds, who 
had driven down their flocks to graze during the 
spring months on the plains, and had established 
themselves for the time within its mouldering walls. 
We found a detached chamber, which had once 
probably served for the abode of the warder, as it 
overhung the ruinous bridge which crossed the 
fosse: the roof was still sufficiently perfect to 
protect us from the weather, and we kindled a 
fire with some wood which we purchased from the 
shepherds. But our night's rest was disturbed by a 
violent tempest of wind, rain, and thunder, by the 
melancholy howlings of the jackalls, which hovered 



465 



round the flocks, and the perpetual baying of the 
watch-dogs. 

The following morning was bright and promising : 
but our hopes of a fine day were soon disappointed; 
the clouds collected, and speedily burst in torrents 
over our heads. At a little distance from the coast 
we saw before us the island of Rouad (the ancient 
Aradus) enveloped in mist, and the narrow channel 
which divides it from the main land crowded with 
vessels which had sought refuge from the storm of 
the preceding night. Crossing obliquely a level 
plain of considerable extent we reached Tartous 
(the ancient Tortosa), which is situated on the shore 
nearly opposite to the island. It is built on a rocky 
point projecting into the sea, and on the land side a 
fosse of great width and depth has been cut through 
the solid stone, and is crowned on the side next the 
town by a wall which is still entire. 

The modern houses do not occupy above half 
the area of the old walls, and almost all of them 
are built upon the remains of more ancient struc- 
tures. About the centre of the town is a large 
church now dilapidated, and there is a still larger 
one, in a better state of preservation, without the 
walls. Both appear to be of the period when the 
Grecian style of architecture was giving place to 
the Saracenic. 

At a few hours' ride from Tartous we passed on 
our right the Castle of Markouf, which is the largest 
that I saw in Syria. Its walls inclose the summit of 

2 H 



466 



a high hill which slopes down towards the sea, and 
are said to be capable of affording protection within 
their area to an army of fifty thousand men. It is 
kept in good repair, and is in the hands of a private 
family, who hold it by a sort of military tenure. 
At the foot of the hill on which it stands is the 
wretched Khan of Bayasse, where we halted for 
the night. We found it already nearly filled by a 
party of wild-looking Albanian soldiers, who, having 
been discharged by the Pasha of Aleppo in conse- 
quence of the submission of that city, were going 
to seek a fresh service with Mahomet Ali ; and as 
we did not like to disturb such a ferocious set of 
fellows, who had occupied all the mats near the 
fire-place, we were obliged, wet and weary as we 
were, to pass a comfortless night on a stone bench 
in a cold corner of the khan. 

The next day we halted at the little town of 
Gebail (the ancient Gebala), where there is a Roman 
amphitheatre in a tolerable state of preservation ; 
and in the evening we reached Latakia. The di- 
stance from Tripoli is about thirty hours' ride at 
the ordinary caravan pace, though a detached horse- 
man might do it in much less time. The journey 
is rendered very incommodious by the want of any 
good khans or resting-places, and also by the nu- 
merous rivers which intersect the route, as there are 
but few bridges, and of these the greater part are 
broken down and impassable. The country has the 
appearance of great fertility ; but the half-peopled 



467 



towns, the deserted churches and the mouldering 
castles, give it a gloomy character wholly opposed 
to that of the cheerful districts of Mount Lebanon. 
The towns are inhabited by Mahometans and a few 
Greek Christians. The mountains are occupied 
chiefly by the Ensyrians, a peculiar race, great num- 
bers of whom are to be found throughout the whole 
extent of country from Tripoli to Antioch, and 
from the sea to the plains of Aleppo. Very little 
accurate information can be obtained about these 
people, as, like their neighbours the Druses, they 
endeavour to throw - a veil of mystery over many of 
their customs, more particularly their religious te- 
nets and observances, which, as far as they are 
known, appear to be strongly tinged with supersti- 
tion, and to partake of Judaism, Christianity, and 
Paganism. They abstain from pork but not from 
wine ; and they observe many of the Christian fes- 
tivals, especially Christmas and the Epiphany. It 
is at this period of the year that they assemble in 
some obscure recesses of the mountains — always 
near a stream of water, where they hold their feasts 
and perform their religious ceremonies with the 
greatest secrecy^. At this period too they ini- 
tiate persons who may be desirous of becoming ac- 
quainted with the mysteries of their faith : and so 
strong are the obligations by which they ensure 
fidelity, that it is said not one of these novices has 

* Ezekiel xviii. 6, <e And hath not eaten upon the mountains," 
may perhaps have reference to this custom. 

2 H 2 



468 



been known to divulge the secret, although some 
have sought admission from motives of curiosity 
alone. They are distinguished by the name of 
Idolaters ; and though, from every thing that I could 
hear or observe, I believe them to be a peaceable 
and inoffensive race, they incur a sufficient quantity 
of the odium theologicum from their neighbours, 
and are held by the Musulman especially in peculiar 
abhorrence. 

I was anxious to go on to Aleppo as speedily as 
possible ; but my host at Latakia, a worthy Greek 
merchant named Moossy Elias, who was the English 
agent there, pressedme very strongly to stay with him 
till after the Greek Easter. " That was the period," 
he said, " at which he received visits of ceremony 
from all the foreign consuls and principal in- 
habitants of the place, and it would contribute 
greatly to his " onore" to have an English gentleman 
seated beside him on the divan on that occasion." 
Moreover, as I had been present at a grand fete 
which the French consul had given at the Latin 
Easter, which happened to be the day after my ar- 
rival at Latakia, — if I did not stay for the Greek fes- 
tival, which this year fell a week later, it would ap- 
pear a slight not only to him as the English agent, 
but even to the Greek Church itself, which was nearly 
allied to our own # . As I wished by all means to 

* The Greek schismatics, as is well known, eat leavened bread in 
the sacrament, and have a great horror of the Pope and popery 5 and 
as they have heard that the English resemble them in these points, 



469 



avoid this scandal, and was glad to gratify my host, 
who was the most obliging of mankind, and did 
every thing in his power to make my residence in 
his house comfortable, I consented to remain the 
week with him, although Latakia has little to in- 
terest or amuse a traveller. It is the ancient Lao- 
dicea, and there is a triumphal arch dedicated to 
Augustus Csesar, in tolerable preservation. 

About Easter is the period of the great flights of 
quails on the coast of Syria ; and in the streets of 
Latakia you meet at every ten yards some person 
carrying on his wrist, either for his own use or 
for hire, one of the beautiful little hawks, about the 
size of an English sparrow-hawk, which are em- 
ployed in catching them. Being curious to see the 
sport, I went out one morning with a facetious 
Greek doctor named Constantino, brother-in-law to 
Moossy Elias and physician to the Motsellim of 
Latakia. We took with us two falconers, each with 
his hawk on his wrist and a little springing spaniel 
at his heels, and proceeded to a very large field of 
thick tufted clover not far from the town, where at 
every ten yards we sprung a quail. As soon as the 
dogs indicated that game was near, the falconer pre- 
pared by taking the hawk in the hollow of his hand, 
and he launched it after the bird the instant that it 
was upon the wing. Nine times out of ten the 
hawk was successful ; but if he missed his prey at 

(which they consider the essentials of religion,) they naturally 
enough suppose some affinity between our church and their own. 



4J0 



the first swoop he never could overtake it, as he 
was encumbered with small bells round his legs, 
and the flight of the quail when once well on the 
wing is most rapid. When thus disappointed, he 
would after a short pursuit tower up to a great 
height in the air, and afterwards settle on the ground 
at a distance, and wait sulkily till the falconer came 
to take him up. The hawks I observed never used 
their beak in the chase ; the quarry was struck 
down, and probably stunned by the violence of the 
blow he received on coming in contact with his 
pursuer, who did not do him any further injury, 
but held him quietly under his talons till he was 
taken away. So abundant was the game, that in 
four hours we killed about forty couple of quails 
and land-rails, which we found in nearly equal 
numbers. 

We were now quite satisfied with our sport; and 
as the Motsellim was encamped at a little distance, 
the doctor proposed to go and offer him a part of the 
game, and to ask whether it would be agreeable that 
I should pay him a visit. I was glad of the oppor- 
tunity of seeing something of the manners of the 
great Turks, and therefore agreed to this proposal : 
and my companion soon returned with a compli- 
mentary message, saying that the Motsellim was 
just sitting down to dinner (as he had no doubt 
anticipated), and would be very glad of our company. 
I accordingly went to the tent and was introduced 
to His Excellency, who was a coarse-looking man, 



471 



rather rough though not uncivil in his manners. 
By his side was sitting a very handsome and gaily 
dressed young Turk named Mustapha Bazar, whom 
I recognized as an old acquaintance, having known 
him at Damascus. He was originally a Georgian 
slave, who was purchased when a boy for Suleyman 
Pasha in the market at Constantinople, and had 
taken his name from that circumstance. When he 
arrived at the harem at Acre, one of the favourite 
wives of Suleyman recognized him as her brother ; 
and the Pasha in consequence gave him his liberty, 
and when he grew up married him to the widow 
of his friend and neighbour Ali Pasha of Tripoli, 
who was mother to his adopted son Abdallah. So 
long as Suleyman lived Mustapha enjoyed great 
wealth and favour, but when his step-son Abdallah 
succeeded to the Pashalik he was stripped of his 
property, and obliged to fly first to Damascus and 
afterwards to Latakia, where his wife, who preferred 
following his fortunes, and had made her escape 
from Acre, came to join him. 

The dinner, (as is always the case among the 
Turks,) was dispatched with great rapidity ; and soon 
afterwards Mustapha took it into his head to go 
out shooting with some of his attendants. It was 
now very hot, and the birds were scattered and 
difficult to find ; and it was most laughable to see 
the Turks in their flowing robes and bulky trousers 
stumbling through the thick clover, and attempting 
to shoot flying with their long Albanian guns, which 



472 



were a quarter of an hour in going off. As might 
be expected, they were soon tired of the sport; and 
we returned to our pipes and coffee in the tent. 
Soon afterwards theHasnadar (or chief officer of the 
custom-house) arrived from the town, and brought 
with him a sort of upper servant or humble com- 
panion, upon whom all sorts of practical jokes were 
exercised for the amusement of the Motsellim and 
his friends. One shoved off his turban, another 
cut him across the legs or shoulders with his cor- 
batch*\ and at length, after various other tricks, 
they threw him down and held him on the ground 
while His Excellency himself with a pair of small 
scissars snipped off both his eye-brows and one of 
his mustachios. In the midst of the mirth and 
laughter which this ingenious joke occasioned, Mus- 
tapha happened to take out his watch ; and finding 
that it was three o'clock, immediately asked for 
water, washed his hands, and kneeling down in 
the tent repeated his prayers with the utmost 
gravity. I soon afterwards took my leave, carry- 
ing off the small remains of the morning's sport 
which the Motsellim condescended to leave us, and 
having learnt that great Turks are not more refined 
in their amusements than the Grandees of other 
nations. 

The fast which the Greek church enjoins on its 
disciples during Lent is much more rigorous than 

* A sort of riding-whip used in the East, made of the skin of 
the hippopotamus. 



473 



that which the Latin church imposes : — no flesh is 
on any pretence allowed them, and fish only on the 
Mid-lent Sunday. During the remainder of the forty 
days their bill of fare consists of rice and oil only; 
and even the latter is sometimes forbidden, and the 
raw olive only permitted. Of ail the various schemes 
which in different ages and countries have been in- 
vented for making religion unaniiable, that of long 
fasts has been perhaps the most effectual. A con- 
tinued meagre and unwholesome diet produces na- 
turally weakness, disease, and corresponding ill- 
humour; and the period of Lent is looked forward 
to with horror, and passed with disgust. At the 
approach of Easter the spirits of the people begin 
to revive; and scarcely has the midnight hour been 
proclaimed, and the morning mass celebrated, when 
they sit down and devour voraciously the Paschal 
lamb. Two or three days are passed in almost con- 
tinual feasting, which following immediately on six 
weeks fast, cannot fail to produce a plentiful harvest 
of disease; and accordingly my friend Constantino 
told me that his best practice was always during the 
fortnight after Easter. 

The wished-for period at last arrived; and having 
passed one whole morning seated on the divan be- 
side my host while he received his numerous guests, 
and the next in accompanying him to return the visits 
of the most distinguished amongst them, I was at 
liberty to pursue my journey. 



4/4 



CHAPTER XVI. 

ANTIOCH. ALEPPO. LATAKIA. 

On the twelfth of April I left Latakia for Aleppo, 
taking a circuitous route by Antakia, the ancient 
Antioch. Towards the end of our first day's journey 
we quitted the plain, and began to ascend very 
gradually the southern side of Mount Casius. The 
scenery in this part of our ride was delightful. In 
some places the sides of the mountain were shaded 
by groves of lofty Weymouth pines, in others, 
covered with thickets of dwarf oak, and every where 
enlivened by a profusion of shrubs and flowers, all 
of which were now in full bloom; while the foliage, 
refreshed by the late showers, displayed its brightest 
verdure. The general aspect of the country was 
different from that to w T hich I had of late been ac- 
customed, and reminded me of more northern re- 
gions. The olives had given place to hardier trees ; 
the few houses which we passed were built of wood., 
and their sloping roofs covered with tiles indicated 
a climate subject to frequent rains. On the second 
dav we reached the summit of the mountain, and 
the road winding round it, opened on the north to 
the valley of the Orontes and the dark and lofty 
chain of Mount Amanus. A wide gorge of the 
mountain, each side richly clothed with shrubs and 



flowers, led us down to the banks of the river, whieh 
flows in a narrow, muddy, and very rapid stream 
through a valley inclosed on each side by steep hills. 
Silk being the staple article of produce, the valley 
is entirely occupied by mulberry-trees, and irrigated 
by large Persian wheels, whose creaking sound re- 
minded me of the sakiahs on the banks of the Nile. 
We soon caught a view of the grey walls of Antakia, 
rising on the side of a steep rocky hill on the 
southern bank of the river; and a ride of about three 
hours up the valley brought us to the gates. The 
town, although it contains some good houses, 
makes on the whole but a mean appearance; and 
the sloping roofs and dingy hue of the stone pro- 
duce a heavy and sombre effect, when compared with 
the stuccoed walls and terraces of more southern 
districts. It is situated entirely on the left bank of 
the river, over which there is an old wooden bridge, 
and it is supplied with water by some very large 
hydraulic wheels thirty or forty feet in diameter. 
The population is considerable, and almost exclu- 
sively Mahometan; for the Ensyrian idolaters reside 
chiefly in the villages, and not more than a hundred 
Christian families are now to be found at this pri- 
mitive seat of their religion, — all of them Greek 
Schismatics. 

To one of the principal of these, — a young man 
named YussufF Saba, — I had letters of introduction 
from Moossy Elias. He received me very kindly, 
but excused himself from lodging me in his house, 



476 



which he said was in a state of great confusion. 
An old steward who had lived for many years in 
his family was goiug to be married, and according 
to the customs of these countries, where the distinc- 
tion between master and servant is not so strongly 
marked as among nations which have made a greater 
progress in refinement, the marriage was to take 
place at his master's house; and Yussuff, in order 
to show his respect for his old domestic, had deter- 
mined that it should be celebrated with due magni- 
ficence. The ceremony was not to take place till 
two days afterwards, but the visitings and feasting 
had already commenced, and the bustle of prepara- 
tion was at its height. Yussuff therefore provided 
me with an apartment at the house of his brother- 
in-law, another wealthy Christian, where he thought 
I should be more quiet than in his own. 

During the greater part of the next day the rain 
kept me in-doors; and when evening came I was 
glad to seek for amusement in a visit to the wedding 
party. I found a large assembly, chiefly composed 
of the Christian inhabitants of the town, but inter- 
mixed with a few of the neighbouring Ensyrian 
peasants. In the middle of the room was an ema- 
ciated old man with grey hair and beard, whom I 
soon discovered to be the family buffoon. The 
company seemed much amused by his odd sayings 
and grotesque attitudes ; but the most effective part 
of his wit appeared to consist in the enormous 
quantity of aqua vitae which he drank, and at every 



477 



draught there was a general peal of laughter. Nor 
did the other guests appear less disposed to imitate 
than to applaud old Simone, as a small glass was 
handed round at least every quarter of an hour, 
and I observed very few who ever allowed it to 
pass. The Christians in the north of Syria are ex- 
tremely addicted to aqua vitae, partly from taste 
and partly because their Mahometan neighbours are 
confined to water only. Drinking they therefore 
esteem a distinctive mark of their religion, and their 
zeal and orthodoxy are gauged by the quantity of 
strong liquors which they are able to swallow. 

The other amusements of the evening were sing- 
ing and dancing, in which several of the company 
took a part. The most favourite vocal performer 
was a young Jew from Aleppo, whose appearance 
was greeted with general acclamation. He had a 
very fine voice, and was an adept in the art of sing- 
ing after the Eastern fashion. The applause which 
his shrill and nasal tones excited was quite enthu- 
siastic, and I never saw so great an effect produced 
by the performances of Braham or Catalani. The 
delight of the audience was expressed by every look 
and gesture ; till one by one almost all rose from 
their seats, stamping their feet and clapping their 
hands in time ; while the youth placing the hollow 
of his hand behind his ear, poured fourth his harsh 
notes with all the strength of his lungs. 

In the intervals of the singing, dancing was intro- 
duced, an exercise of which the inhabitants of Upper 



478 



Syria are very fond, and in which they excel. Their 
dances are generally executed by one or two per- 
sons only; and some of them (the sabre dance espe- 
cially, a sort of mock single combat derived pro- 
bably from the ancient Pyrrhic) are spirited and 
picturesque. The performances on this occasion, 
however, were chiefly in that peculiar style which 
is prevalent throughout the East ; and as the even- 
ing advanced and the aqua vitae circulated, it was 
highly diverting to see even " grave and reverend 
seniors" imitating the attitudes of Egyptian Almehs. 
The Christians of Antioch it appears do not think 
that so natural an exercise as dancing can be unbe- 
coming at any age. 

During the time that these festivities were going 
on among the men, the ladies, if we might judge 
from the frequent cry of joy which proceeded from 
their apartment, were amusing themselves equally 
well. About an hour after midnight the party broke 
up, having passed the evening with the greatest 
harmony, and without riot or excess. They seemed 
much pleased by the presence of the stranger-guest, 
and as a mark of their attention I was escorted to 
my own lodgings by several of the young men pre- 
ceded by a drum, a pipe, and a mandoline. 

Sunday the 1 6th was fixed upon for the wedding, 
the preliminary rejoicings having already lasted 
three days. The length of time during which these 
festivities continue is regulated by the wealth and 
rank of the parties. In some families they are pro- 



479 



tracted for ten or fourteen days, to the extreme dis- 
order of the household. The ceremonies, as far as 
I had an opportunity of observing them, were as 
follows. About three o'clock the young friends of 
the bride having collected together in the house of 
YussufF Saba, (which on this occasion was supposed 
to belong to the bridegroom,) the latter was obliged 
to relinquish it to them, and seek refuge at that where 
I was lodged. He made but a forlorn appearance, 
as custom required that for several days preceding 
the wedding he should let his beard grow and wear 
his oldest and shabbiest clothes. As soon as the 
bridegroom's house was thus clear for her reception, 
the women sallied forth to fetch the bride from the 
abode of her parents. There were about fifty of 
them, all dressed in white veils which covered their 
faces and almost their whole figures ; they carried 
garlands of flowers in their hands, and walked in 
procession with a hurried and irregular pace. There 
was not any crowd collected in the streets to see 
them pass, as the Mahometans, either from disdain 
or from courtesy, make it a rule to keep aloof from 
all Christian festivals. About an hour after sunset 
a party of friends came to fetch the bridegroom, 
whose chin had been polished in the meantime, 
but who was still dressed in his old clothes, and he 
was conducted by torchlight to Yussuff's house. I 
accompanied the procession, and on our arrival we 
found the court crowded with friends and specta- 
tors. A mat was spread out in one corner, on 



480 



which the bridegroom's new clothes were placed ; 
and by the assistance of four priests, who acted the 
part of valets on this occasion, he was speedily dis- 
encumbered of his old ones, and re-equipped from 
top to toe. Like the Bourgeois Gentilhomme, he 
was dressed to the sound of music ; for the priests 
during the whole of the operation kept droning out 
a most melancholy and nasal psalm tune, in which 
the spectators who stood round, each with a lighted 
taper in his hand, occasionally joined. 

As soon as the dressing was completed we ad- 
journed into a large room which opened on the 
court, and in the middle of which stood the bride 
and the bridesmaid : the bride was covered with a 
long white veil, which flowed down to the ground and 
concealed her whole figure ; in addition to which, 
a rose-coloured gauze handkerchief was thrown over 
her head and face, and fell down to her waist. 
Her companion wore the same dress with the ex- 
ception of the handkerchief; and as they stood alone 
and motionless in the middle of a large room, no 
one would have taken them for animated beings. 
At their feet were crouched two of the most mi- 
serable squalid-looking objects that I ever beheld, 
whose dirty rags seemed ill-suited to the place and 
the occasion. On my asking "how they came 
there without a wedding garment ?" I was told that 
they were poor sick women, who were admitted 
because to hear the marriage benediction was con- 
sidered a certain remedy for their disorders. 



481 



As soon as the immediate friends had been in- 
troduced the doors were closed, so that the room 
was not at all crowded, the party consisting per- 
haps of about thirty persons. The bride and bride- 
groom were placed side by side, the chief priest 
stood facing them and repeated certain prayers or 
lessons, to which the others responded ; he then 
crossed the ring three times on the forehead of the 
bridegroom, and as often on that of the bride, and 
gently drawing her delicate little hand from under 
the rose-coloured veil, placed it on her finger. A 
coronet ornamented with flowers and gilding was 
set on each of their heads, and each took a sip of 
wine from a silver cup, the priest drinking the re- 
mainder. They then joined hands, and with their 
attendants walked at a measured pace, keeping time 
to a chaunt sung by the priests, three times round 
the altar, which on this occasion was typified by a 
small joint-stool placed in the middle of the room. 
After this the benediction was pronounced, and the 
ceremony concluded. The bridesmaids now led 
back the bride to join her companions in the wo- 
men's apartment, from whence during the ceremony 
the joyful cry of Lillah, lillah, lillah had frequently 
reached our ears, and the house was again left to 
their sole possession. 

All the men immediately retired to my lodgings, 
and the evening and great part of the night was 
spent in the same revelry as the preceding one 

2 i 



482 



had been ; singing, dancing, and drinking being 
kept up till near day-break. The bridegroom, ac- 
companied by a young friend who acted as his 
bridesman, remained in one corner of the room aloof 
from the rest of the company, with a large candle 
burning before him, and exhibiting him as a clearer 
mark for the jests, neither few nor delicate, with 
which he was assailed on all sides. I was told that 
according to strict etiquette he ought to have been 
kept standing on one leg : but this inconvenient for- 
mality was dispensed with ; he was allowed to use 
both, and even to sit down, except when any person 
of consequence was singing or dancing. With all 
this, however, to quote the words of another tra- 
veller^ on a similar occasion, "for a man in so 
enviable a situation as that of a bridegroom, he made 
but a sorry figure ;" and being moreover a very grave 
and staid-looking person of, about fifty years of age, 
the effect was the more ludicrous. 

17th. — The weather still continued so rainy that 
I could not go out, and about twelve o'clock I was 
fated to see my apartment again filled with guests, 
who came to amuse the afternoon in the usual 
way. About sunset we repaired to Yussuff Saba's, 
where the festivities were concluded by a grand 
supper, at which about sixty persons sat down. As 
soon as it was over the bridegroom took his leave 
of the company, and was admitted to the women's 
* Col. Denham. 



483 



apartment, where he would for the first time behold 
the features of his bride, the business of courtship 
in these countries being carried on by the interven- 
tion of a third person, and the lady being carefully 
kept from the lovers sight till after marriage. 

The rest of the company adjourned to my room, 
and the amusements of the former evening were 
revived. I perceived, however, that the spirit of 
the party had very much evaporated. Several of 
the most popular performers had retired to their 
own homes, and those who remained appeared jaded 
and exhausted by the long continued revels. I was 
in hopes that they would have departed early and 
have left me to repose ; but old Simone the buffoon 
came out in the new character of a story-teller, and 
kept his audience together till long after midnight. 
The intervals in his narration, occasioned by his 
frequent draughts of aqua vitse, afforded the inter- 
preter an opportunity of giving me the outline of 
several of his tales ; but I did not think any of them 
so good as that of 

The Jew of Hamah # . 

Once upon a time there lived in Hamah a certain 
Turk called Mustapha, who having accumulated 
some wealth by carrying on a trade in goat's hair, 

* This story was told me by my friend Mr. Masyck of Aleppo ; 
and as I do not recollect to have seen it in print, I introduce it 
here. By dint of amplification, a skilful story-teller would easily 
spin it out for two hours. 

2 I 2 



484 



determined to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. His 
family consisted of his wife and two slaves ; and as 
the lady insisted on not being left behind, the good 
man resolved to sell off his stock of goat's hair, to 
take all his household with him, and to shut up his 
house till his return. The only difficulty that pre- 
sented itself was what to do with his money. He 
did not like to run the risk of being robbed of it 
in his journey through the Desert, he did not like 
to leave it in an empty house, and there were not 
any of his friends to whom he wished to trust the 
secret of his wealth. After much deliberation he 
placed it in separate parcels at the bottom of five 
large earthen jars, which he then filled up with 
butter, and on his departure sent them to the house 
of one of his neighbours, a Jew named Mousa, to 
keep till his return, telling him that it was a stock 
which he had laid in for winter consumption. The 
Jew, however, from the weight of the jars and other 
circumstances, suspected that they contained some- 
thing more valuable ; and as soon as Mustapha was 
fairly on his way to Damascus to join the caravan, 
he ventured to open them ; when finding his expecta- 
tions realized, he took out the gold and filled them 
up again with butter so carefully, that nobody could 
tell that they had been disturbed. The poor Turk 
on his return from the pilgrimage soon found out 
the trick that his neighbour had practised upon 
him ; but as the jars were exactly in the same ap- 
parent state as when he left them, and as there was 



485 



no evidence as to their contents, it was plain that 
no legal process could give him any redress. He 
therefore set about to devise some other way of 
punishing the Jew, and of recovering if possible his 
property ; and in the mean time he did not communi- 
cate his loss to any person but his wife, and en- 
joined on her the strictest secrecy. 

After long consideration a plan suggested it- 
self. In one of his visits to the neighbouring town 
of Horns, where he was in the habit of going to 
sell his goat's hair to the manufacturers of the 
mashlakhs, for which that place is famous, he fell 
in with a troop of gypsies, who had with them 
an ape of extraordinary sagacity. He prevailed on 
them to sell him this animal ; and conveying it pri- 
vately to his house at Hamah, shut it up in a room 
to which no one but himself had access. He then 
went to the bazar and bought one of the dark 
scanty robes and the small caps or kalpaks, with a 
speckled handkerchief tied closely round it, which 
is the prescribed costume of the Jews throughout 
the Turkish empire. This dress he took care in- 
variably to put on whenever he went to visit his 
ape ; and as he always carried him his meals, and 
indeed never allowed any other person to see him, 
the animal in the course of a few weeks became ex- 
tremely attached to him, jumping on his neck and 
hugging and caressing him as soon as he entered 
the room. 

About this time, as he was walking along the 



486 



streets one day he met a lad, the son of the Jew 
Mousa, and having enticed him into his house by 
the promise of some figs, he shut him up a close 
prisoner in a detached apartment in his garden, at 
such a distance from the street and from the other 
houses in the town that the boy could not discover 
to any one the place of his confinement. The Jew 
after several days search not being able to obtain 
any tidings of him, concluded that he had either 
been drowned, or had strayed out of the town and 
fallen into the hands of some wandering Bedouins ; 
and as he was his only child, fell into a state of 
the greatest despair : till at length he heard by 
accident, that just about the time that the boy was 
missing, he had been seen walking in company 
with Hadgi Mustapha. The truth instantly flashed 
on his mind, and he recognized in the loss of his 
son some stratagem which the Turk had planned 
in revenge for the affair of the butter-jars. He 
immediately summoned him before the Cadi, ac- 
cused him of having the boy in his possession, 
and insisted on his immediately restoring him. 
Mustapha at first strenuously denied the fact; but 
when one of the witnesses positively declared that 
he saw the boy go into his house ; and when the 
Cadi was about to pronounce his decree, that he 
should bring him into court dead or alive ; " Yah 
illah, el Allah? he exclaimed, " There is no God 
but Allah, and his power is infinite ; he can work 
miracles when it seemeth good in his sight." " It 



487 



is true, EfFendi," continued he, addressing himself to 
the Cadi, " that I saw the Jew Mousa's son passing 
by ray house; and for the sake of the old friendship 
subsisting between his father and myself, I invited 
him to come in and to eat some figs which I had 
just been gathering. The boy however repaid my 
hospitality with rudeness and abuse : nay, he even 
blasphemed the name of our holy Prophet; but 
scarcely had the words passed his lips, when to 
my surprise and horror he was suddenly changed 
into a monkey. In that form I will produce him : 
and as a proof that what I tell you is true, you 
will see that he will immediately recognize his 
father." 

At this instant a servant who was waiting on 
the outside let loose the ape into the divan, who 
seeing that the Jew was the only person present in 
the dress to which he was accustomed, mistook 
him for his master, jumped upon him, and clung 
round his neck with all the expressions of fondness 
which the child might have been supposed to ex- 
hibit on being restored to his parent. Nothing 
more was wanting to convince the audience of the 
truth of Mustapha's story : " A miracle, a real mi- 
racle !" they cried out, " great is Allah, and Mahomet 
is his prophet :" and the Jew was ordered to take 
the monkey and retire from the court. A com- 
promise was now his only resource ; and accordingly, 
as soon as it was dark and he could go unobserved, 
he repaired to Mustapha's house, and offered, if he 



488 



would liberate his son, to restore all the money 
which he had taken from the butter-jars. The 
Turk having attained his object, consented to re- 
lease his prisoner ; 1but in order to keep up his own 
credit, he stipulated that the child should be removed 
privately, and that the father with his whole family 
should immediately quit the place. The popular 
belief in the miracle thus remained unshaken; and 
so great was the disrepute into which the Jews fell 
in consequence of this adventure, that they all de- 
parted one after the other, and none have ever since 
been known to reside in Hamah. 

April 18th. — Tranquillity was restored within- 
doors; and the rain having abated, I was able to 
walk out and survey the old walls, which are very 
extensive, the modern town occupying but a very 
small portion of their area. They are of the firmest 
masonry, and though built probably under the Lower 
Empire, are still almost entire. They are flanked 
by square towers at short distances from each other, 
which, with one exception only, are broken open 
on the inner side. This one bears no traces of 
ever having been opened; and it has now become a 
matter of superstition to leave it undisturbed. 

On the 19th of April we left Antakia, and pro- 
ceeded for some distance with the Orontes on our 
left, and a low range of hills (a continuation of that 
on which the town is placed) on our right, till we 
came to the spot where the river makes its great 
bend. We there crossed it near a little village 



489 



called Jesir Hadid, " the bridge of iron/' although 
the bridge itself is now of wood. At this spot, from 
the right bank of the Orontes a very large plain 
extends in an eastern and north-eastern direction, 
bounded on the north by the lofty chain of Amanus, 
and on the east and south by a range of lower hills. 
It is of great fertility, producing grass of uncommon 
fineness and luxuriance ; and it was now overspread 
with the black tents of the Turkmen. We crossed 
this plain, and about an hour after sunset came to 
a little village called Haran at the foot of the lower 
range of hills. Here are the massive remains of a 
castle, which we explored in vain to find a room that 
might afford us shelter. We were therefore forced 
' to take refuge in a mill, from whence, having passed 
a most restless night disturbed by the rattling of 
three pair of large mill- stones, we emerged the next 
morning covered from head to foot with dust and 
flour. At a short distance from the village we 
quitted the plain, and ascended very gradually into 
an upland and in some places almost mountainous 
tract, stony, barren, and deserted, although the 
frequent remains of castles, churches and con- 
vents, showed that it had once been cultivated and 
well peopled. After a tedious ride through this 
solitary and almost trackless country, our guides, 
who had several times lost their way, succeeded 
in finding the little village of Dinah, which we 
reached about four o'clock. It was quite aban- 
doned by the inhabitants, who had fled, as they 



490 

frequently do in these countries, either on some 
alarm of banditti, or on the approach of the Turkish 
tax-gatherers, whose appearance they equally dread. 

I walked round the village with the dragoman, 
to select among the deserted cottages one that 
might afford us a convenient lodging ; but we soon 
found that a swarm of creeping inhabitants had re- 
mained behind, which would render our quarters 
very uncomfortable. Giorgio had a pair of bright 
yellow boots which he had just purchased at An- 
takia ; and he had scarcely passed the threshold of 
the first house which we inspected, when they were 
so covered with this vermin that their colour be- 
came scarcely discernible. Several other cottages 
that we visited were equally well stocked, and we # 
began to think that it would be best to take up 
our night's lodging in the open air ; when at last 
we found one which, from the fresh burnt cinders 
on the hearth, appeared to have been very recently 
evacuated^ and where the animals, in consequence, 
were not so famished and so ravenous as in the 
others. Just as we were going to take posses- 
sion , however, another claimant appeared. He was 
a Turk shabbily dressed, but as he was mounted 
on a good horse and had two attendants with him 
besides a black slave, he was evidently a person 
of consequence. I thought it therefore most pru- 
dent to avoid dispute by proposing to share the 
apartment, small as it was, between us ; and we ac- 
cordingly passed the evening together. He told 



491 



rne that he had been a great traveller, and had 
visited most of the provinces of the Turkish empire. 
He was now, he said, on his way from Constan- 
tinople to Aleppo on affairs of government ; and I 
afterwards discovered that he was a Capigi Bashi. 
He considered that the fatigue of travelling absolved 
him from the strict observances of his religion, and 
dispatched with much satisfaction the greater part 
of a bottle of rum which I gave him in exchange 
for a large bowl of most excellent milk which he 
had bought, or perhaps taken, from the Turkmen 
on the plain. 

About the middle of the next day we reached 
Aleppo, The approach to that city is striking, 
from the wildness and solitude which reign around 
it. It stands in a slight hollow among wide open 
downs, and scarcely a tree is to be seen except in 
the gardens, which skirt several little streams at 
no great distance from the walls. It is, or rather 
was (for since I was there it has been almost en- 
tirely destroyed by an earthquake), more substan- 
tially built than any city which I saw in the 
Turkish empire, the houses being mostly of stone, 
They had terraced roofs, and arches here and 
there thrown across the streets, communicating 
from the terrace of one house to that of another. 
The Franks occupied several large khans in the 
neighbourhood of the bazar, consisting of a number 
of houses built round a spacious quadrangle. When 
they were more numerous at Aleppo, each nation 



492 



had its respective khan, which still retained the 
name of the English, the French, the Dutch khan, 
and so on, though no longer exclusively occupied 
by the subjects of those countries. The European 
commerce of Aleppo declined with the progress of 
navigation, as the voyage round the Cape of Good 
Hope became more easy and expeditious. Its in- 
ternal trade had also of late years much diminished, 
from the general impoverishment of the surrounding 
country; and the inhabitants, dispirited by the late 
rebellion and siege, were full of gloomy forebodings, 
and predicted that the city would soon fall into utter 
decay, and become, like Palmyra, a heap of ruins in 
the Desert, — a prediction which has been accom- 
plished by the hand of Nature more speedily than 
they anticipated. 

As yet, however, Aleppo was by far the most 
cheerful place in Syria; the Franks were numerous, 
lived very sociably among themselves, and were very 
polite to strangers. They retained much of the 
ceremony of the old school ; and at first receiving 
or returning their visits, it was necessary to be 
tutored by some experienced practitioner as to the 
precise form and number of bows and conges which 
were due to the degree of the person or the im- 
portance of the occasion. Mr. Barker, the English 
consul, was at this time absent; but his younger 
brother, who acted as his agent, was exceedingly 
assiduous in what was now, I believe, the most im- 
portant duty of the office,— attention to his wander- 



493 



ing fellow-countrymen. I resided with Mr. Masyck 
the Dutch consul, a very agreeable and intelligent 
man. He was a native of Aleppo, and had scarcely 
ever quitted the place of his birth : but he had a 
knowledge of life seldom to be found even among 
those who have had a more extensive field of ob- 
servation; spoke fluently five or six languages, and 
had an inexhaustible fund of entertaining anecdotes 
with regard to Oriental affairs. In early life he had 
mixed more with the higher classes of the Maho- 
metan inhabitants, than Franks in general are in the 
habit of doing ; he wore their dress, and had ac- 
quired much of their tranquil philosophy and their 
dignity of appearance and manners. 

The Jews at this time enjoyed great considera- 
tion at Aleppo, and were exempted from many 
of those injuries and indignities which the belief 
that they are under the displeasure of Heaven, 
has afforded men a convenient pretence for in- 
flicting on them. This security they chiefly owed 
to the powerful family of Picciotto, who were 
strong in foreign protection, and whose wealth 
enabled them to hold under pecuniary obligations 
many of the great Turks of Aleppo, a notoriously 
prodigal race. The head of the family I have be- 
fore mentioned as living in a sort of monastic re- 
tirement at Tabaria: the elder son Don Ezra # was 
Austrian consul, and the Russian and Prussian 

* Who was afterwards killed by the falling of a house in the 
earthquake. 



494 



consulships were held by two younger brothers. 
From all these gentlemen I received very great 
civility and attention during my stay, and frequently 
went to their houses, especially on the day of their 
sabbath, when they received visits of ceremony. On 
these occasions the ladies of the family, some of 
whom were very pretty, made their appearance in their 
best dresses, which, with a few occasional variations, 
may be given as a specimen of the general costume 
of the wealthier classes throughout the empire. 
On their heads they wear a shawl turban studded 
with pearls and precious stones, with festoons of 
pearls hanging down on each side the face. On the 
bosom the under garment only appears, over which 
is worn a sort of gown called an antari or compaz, 
made straight to the shape, so as just to meet in 
front, and when accidentally parted, to show a thin 
gauze tunic and loose rose-coloured trowsers under- 
neath. It has long hanging sleeves, and the edges 
are sometimes curiously embroidered in different 
colours. Over the compaz is a vest of rich stuff or 
silk coming down a little below the knees, and with 
sleeves cut off at the elbows, which is sometimes 
lined with fur, and forms a pelisse. A shawl is tied 
negligently round the figure below the waist, with a 
bow and ends depending on the left side. From the 
waist, which is very short, hangs a double row of 
gold coins, sometimes reaching nearly to the ground. 
The bracelets are of gold chains. The hair is cut 
off quite square on the forehead, with a long tress 



495 



hanging down on each side, and is wove behind 
into numerous plaits, which cover the whole of the 
back, and are tipped at the end with gold coins. 
Thus attired, these fair Jewesses sat on their divan 
to receive their guests, each with a Persian nargillay 
in her hand. Smoking is almost universally prac- 
tised by the Aleppine ladies, and the greatest compli- 
ment that they can pay you is to transfer the pipe 
from their own lips to yours. 

The climate of Aleppo is very good; the air clear, 
and so dry that in summer it is the universal custom 
of the inhabitants to sleep on the terraces of their 
houses. All the necessaries and. luxuries of life are 
plentiful ; game is very abundant in the neighbour- 
hood; and there is excellent shooting, coursing, and 
hawking in the winter season. At this time the 
weather was too hot for any active amusements, 
and my exercise was confined to an occasional after- 
noon's ride, with M. Guys the French consul, to 
Monte Isoletto, a height at a little distance from the 
town, where we drank coffee and then rode back 
again. The mode of life of the Aleppines does not 
vary from that generally practised in the East. They 
get up very early, and pay visits soon after sunrise ; 
dine at noon ; take their siesta and a walk or ride 
afterwards, and sup about an hour after sunset. 
Before each meal aqua vitae is handed round in 
small glasses, of which it is customary for each per- 
son to drink three, that being the magical number 



496 



which is supposed best to promote appetite and 
digestion. 

About the end of May M. Deportes arrived at 
Aleppo, bringing with him a magnificent set of 
harness as a present from the French government 
to Kourschid Pasha, which was conveyed in ^rand 
procession to his palace at Shekh Abou-bekr, about 
a mile from the city. The Pasha received it very 
graciously, and in return made the French a present 
of several horses ; one of which, a fine old white 
charger named Arslan, or " the Lion/' he told us, 
was destined expressly for the king of France him- 
self (Louis XVIII.), his great strength being sup- 
posed particularly to qualify him for the use of that 
corpulent monarch. Syria from its vicinity to the 
Desert might be supposed to abound in good horses ; 
but they are as difficult to be met with there as in 
other places. The Bedouins sell their colts at two 
or three years old to the wealthy Turks in the cities, 
who, if they turn out well, ask immoderate prices 
for them. For one belonging to the Aga of Bey- 
rout I know that 13000 piastres, (then worth about 
four hundred pounds,) was offered and refused. At 
five years old, too, they are almost all completely 
stiff in the hocks, from the violent method used of 
stopping and throwing them on their haunches. 
The breed of Desert horses is supposed by the re- 
sidents in Syria to have considerably degenerated; 
nor is this to be wondered at, when we know that 



497 



the selection of stallions is guided by the most ca- 
pricious rules. They are not chosen for their shape, 
action, or other qualities ; but according to certain 
particular marks which are supposed to be of good 
omen. White legs, for example, are in high esti- 
mation, especially if there are two on the same side, 
because then, say they, the rider mounts and dis- 
mounts on a fortunate colour ; and on the other 
hand, a horse without any white marks is thought 
so unlucky, that I have known several very good 
ones sold at a small price for no other reason. The 
particular turn too of the tufts of hair in the centre 
of the forehead, the breast, and other parts of the 
animal, affords ground for many whimsical auguries 
as to the fate of its owner. 

When M. Deportes returned to Seida, I took 
the opportunity of accompanying him as far as 
Latakia, and on the 1 7th of June we left Aleppo 
with a very numerous cavalcade. Our own train 
consisted of about twenty horses ; and in com- 
pliance with the custom of the place, the consuls 
and principal merchants rode with us for the first 
two or three miles. Knowing the inconvenience 
of lodging in private houses, especially at this hot 
season of the year, we had taken the precaution to 
provide ourselves with a tent, which we pitched the 
first night at Khan Toman, about four hours ride 
from Aleppo. The next day our route lay across 
a vast uncultivated plain, bounded by a range of 
hills sweeping round in a crescent. At the foot of 



498 



these we saw the white walls of Edlip, a village 
where we were to halt for the night; but there was 
no intervening resting-place, nor a single shrub or 
tree that could afford us any shade during the in- 
tense heat of the day. About noon we descried at 
some distance to the right of our track a green 
patch in this desert, to which we immediately di- 
rected our course, thinking we should find there a 
little grass and some water for our horses : but it 
turned out to our great disappointment, that, in- 
stead of herbage, the verdure was occasioned by a 
vast flight of locusts in their green state, which had 
settled on the spot. 

The tract of country we were now passing over 
was, within the memory of man, populous and well 
cultivated ; but the oppressive exactions of the 
Turkish governors, and the incursions of the Be- 
douins, have reduced it to a wilderness : most of the 
inhabitants are gone, and their frail habitations are 
fast mouldering into dust. Forty villages are said 
to have thus disappeared in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood of Aleppo within as many years ; and 
those parts only of the Turkish empire are in a 
flourishing state, in which the extraordinary bounty 
of Nature triumphs over all the efforts of misgovern- 
ment. Wherever the soil is less generous, or the 
situation less secure, we invariably find poverty and 
depopulation. 

19th. — Leaving Edlip we passed over a succession 
of hills and vales ; and after a ride of eight hours 



499 



through intense heat, reached the large town of 
Jesir Shogher. Here we pitched our tent in a fine 
green meadow under the shade of some plane-trees, 
procured a large supply of frozen snow from the 
Aga's storehouses, and passed the evening in quaffing 
iced punch on the banks of the Orontes. 

20th. — We crossed the range of hills which skirt 
the left bank of the river, and encamped in a woody 
glen near the source of the stream which flows 
down to Latakia, whose course we followed till we 
arrived at that place on the 22nd. The distance 
from Aleppo is estimated at forty hours, camel's 
pace, or about a hundred and twenty miles; but 
from the number of horses we had with us, and the 
badness of the roads, it took us six days to perform 
the journey. 

On my arrival I found that there was not any 
vessel likely to sail for Cyprus in less than a fort- 
night or three weeks ; so that I was obliged again 
to domiciliate myself in the house of Moossy Elias, 
which, notwithstanding the great civility and atten- 
tion of my host and his family, was rather a dull 
abode. I found some resource, however, during this 
tedious detention, in the society of M. Lanusse the 
French consul, a very sensible and friendly man. 
He was now (as the principal Frank inhabitants are 
accustomed to do in the heats of summer,) re- 
siding under tents on the sea shore, at a few miles 
from the town, and I frequently visited his encamp- 
ment. The French carry with them, wherever they 

2 k 2 



500 



go, their characteristic fondness for gaiety and 
amusement ; and on the evenings of the jours de 
fete, when the great heat of the day had declined, 
M. Lanusse and his family assembled round them 
their friends from the town, and a number of the 
neighbouring peasants; a supper, consisting of a 
variety of rural fare, was spread in the tents, the red 
Cyprus wine circulated freely, and the greater part 
of the night was passed in singing, in rustic sports, 
and in dancing by moonlight on the sands. 

The time at length arrived for the ship to sail, 
and I was making preparations for my departure, 
when my schemes were again interrupted; a malaria 
fever attacked me suddenly while I was encamped 
at a little village called Fedoui, about five miles 
from Latakia ; and in the course of a few hours I 
became so ill that I had considerable difficulty in 
getting back to the town. At first I had rather 
gloomy forebodings as to the result, not having 
very great faith in the skill of my friend Constan- 
tino, who was the only physician I could apply to ; 
but he soon gained my confidence by the vigorous 
measures which he adopted. For several days I 
was bled, cupped, leeched, and blistered without 
mercy; and at the end of about a week the fever 
remitted and assumed the form of an ague, the hot 
and cold fits coming on regularly every day. In 
this stage of the disorder I suffered so much, that I 
intreated the doctor to put an end to it by giving 
me bark ; but this he strenuously refused to do, 



501 



and continued to administer tisanes, or decoctions 
of herbs in great quantities for a week or ten days 
longer, when the attacks became much slighter, and 
a few doses of the stronger remedy completely re- 
moved them : I was left in a state of extreme weak- 
ness, but I am convinced that the cautious system of 
the Greek physician was the most judicious that 
could have been adopted : no permanent ill con- 
sequences resulted from the disorder, and I have 
never since had any returns of it, as happened to 
some of my acquaintance who were treated in a 
more summary way. I cannot refrain from say- 
ing, that during my illness I received the greatest 
attention from my host and his family, and also 
from the French consul ; and I mention it as an in- 
stance of the friendly feeling that prevailed among 
travellers of different nations in this country, that the 
commander of a French squadron which anchored 
off Latakia (the Baron des Ro tours), hearing that 
an English gentleman was dangerously ill, sent to 
offer the services of his own medical attendant. 

At the end of about three weeks another vessel 
was ready to sail, and Dr. Constantino pronounced 
me able to undertake a sea-voyage. Though pleased 
with the prospect of setting my face once more 
towards home, yet I did not quit Syria with- 
out a feeling of regret. I had now been there 
nearly twelve months, and " in strange eyes had 
made me not a stranger." I had every where met 
with kindness and hospitality ; had been watched 



502 



with care during sickness ; and had lived in inti- 
macy with many persons whose society had been 
very agreeable to me, but from whom I was now 
to be separated never in all probability to meet 
again. This is the most painful part of a travel- 
lers lot, and on these occasions he will be inclined 
to say w T ith the poet : 

" Felice chi il piede mai non ha posato 
Fuori di sua natia dolce terra j 
Egli non ha il cuor fisso sugli oggetti, 
Che di veder piu non ha speranza, 
E quel che vivo e morto non piange." 

" Happy the man ne'er fated to explore 
Remoter scenes, nor quit his native shore j 
From foreign ties his tranquil heart is free, 
Nor fixed on those he never more must see - } 
He broods not over joys for ever fled, 
Nor mourns the living as he mourns the dead. ,, 



503 



CHAPTER XVII. 

CYPRUS. RHODES. SMYRNA. 

On the evening of the 30th July I embarked in 
company with the Rev. Mr. Connor, an English 
missionary, on board a small brig bound for Cyprus. 
On the morning of the 1st of August we were in 
sight of the island, but it took us two days more to 
reach Larnaca, the principal port and commercial 
depot, which is situated near its southern extremity. 
We remained there three days, lodging at a house 
belonging to M. Vondiziano, the English vice- 
consul. My late illness was too fresh in my recol- 
lection to allow me to expose myself much to the 
air of Cyprus, which at this season is thought very 
unhealthy; and all I know of the island is, that I 
could see from my windows an extensive plain 
bounded by a range of mountains stretching across 
from east to west. At the foot of these is situated 
Nicosia, the place of residence of the Greek arch- 
bishop, who before the revolution had the govern- 
ment almost entirely in his own hands, the Turkish 
authorities interfering very little with the manage- 
ment of it. The population of Cyprus, indeed, 
was almost exclusively Greek, there being few 
Turks or Armenians, and Jews being by ancient 
custom prohibited from settling there. The num- 
ber of inhabitants, which is said in former times to 



504 



have amounted to a million, had now sunk to 
seventy or eighty thousand; and in consequence of 
this diminution a great proportion of the land had 
been thrown out of cultivation, and become sub- 
ject to malaria. The natural soil is fertile, and 
capable of producing almost every article of con- 
sumption, and the island in the hands of a powerful 
maritime nation might become the key to the east- 
ern shores of the Mediterranean. The chief pro- 
duction now is wine, of which there are several 
qualities. The red kinds are sound and full-fla- 
voured; but the most celebrated is the white wine 
called vino delta commanderia (from its having been 
originally made on vineyards belonging to the 
knights of St. John), which resembles in taste the 
vino d'oro of Mount Lebanon, or the Mountain of 
our cellars. It is exceedingly strong, and will keep 
and continue to improve till a very great age. Cy- 
prus is still a place of some commercial importance, 
and most of the European states have consuls at 
Larnaca. I there parted with my Arabic interpreter 
Giorgio Luigi, who returned to Cairo. 

A Greek brig bound to the Morea was lying in 
the harbour, and we agreed with the captain for 
three hundred piastres to convey us to Rhodes. We 
sailed in the evening of the 5th of August, but the 
wind was so baffling that we did not clear the 
western point of the island till the 10th, when it 
shifted a little to the southward and we stood away 
to the coast of Caramania. On the 12th about 



505 



sunset we came in view of the promontory of Cape 
Chelidone, on the western side of the gulf of Sa- 
talia; from whence to the entrance of the gulf of 
Macri is the most picturesque and magnificent line 
of coast that I ever sailed along. Bold cliffs skirt 
the shore^ and their outline is broken by the 
summits of lofty mountains in the interior. We 
wished much to have visited some of the curious 
remains of antiquity which are to be found in this 
part of ancient Lycia, but we could not prevail upon 
our captain to deviate from his course. The winds 
were in general so contrary, that he did not like to 
lose a moment of a favourable breeze ; and as it was, 
we did not reach Rhodes till the 18th of August, 
fourteen days after leaving Larnaca, having touched 
at only one place during our voyage. 

The town of Rhodes is situated at the northern 
extremity of the island, on the side of a hill which 
slopes down to the sea. It has a very antique ap- 
pearance, one street especially, (the Strada dei Ca- 
valierly is nearly in the same state as in the time 
of the Knights, the door of each house being still 
surmounted by an escutcheon with the coat of arms 
of its ancient inhabitant, and the names of several 
remaining inscribed on the walls. These hardy 
warriors seem to have been contented with indif- 
ferent lodgings, the houses being so small and mean 
that they are now occupied only by persons of the 
lower class. At the upper end of the street is the 
cathedral church of St. John, now converted into a 



506 



mosque, and there are remains of several other 
churches, particularly of that of the Madonna della 
Victoria, built by the Grand-master Dubuisson, after 
the repulse of the Turks in 1480. The fortifications 
which are carried along the crown of the hill, are 
very strong. The ramparts are faced with brick, 
and there is a deep and wide ditch with several out- 
works. The Turks keep them in good repair, and 
the guns remain probably in the same places that 
they occupied during the siege. The port is sur- 
rounded by walls, and the entrance, which is very 
narrow, is defended by two massive towers. It was 
formerly protected from the north winds by a mole, 
but that has fallen to decay. 

The suburbs are much more extensive than the 
town itself, and all the inhabitants of the higher 
class reside there. The Christians, who are not 
allowed to live within the walls, have a quarter to 
themselves called the villagio novo, where there is a 
convent of the Terra Santa, in which we lodged. 
It was a small building consisting only of a corridor 
and one range of apartments, but it was in a fine 
airy situation near the sea. The environs of Rhodes 
are exceedingly beautiful. Woody slopes inter- 
spersed with villas and kiosks, the broad channel 
which separates the island from the main, and the 
rocky shores and lofty mountains of Asia Minor 
beyond it, form perpetual combinations of rich fore- 
ground with bold and romantic distance. 

The island is estimated to contain about forty 



507 



thousand inhabitants, of whom the greater number 
reside in the town and immediate neighbourhood, 
and the remainder are distributed through forty or 
fifty villages in the interior. They are almost all 
Greeks, but are kept in great awe by a handfull of 
Turks. In riding out one evening to the village of 
Trianda where Mr. Masse the English vice-consul 
had a country-house, we met a number of peasants 
bringing provisions and wine into the town. I ob- 
served that when they approached us they all dis- 
mounted from their mules, and remained standing 
till we had passed by; and on inquiry I found that 
from my dress they took me for a Turk, and that 
this was a mark of subjection which they were 
obliged to show to their masters. The popula- 
tion is trifling compared with the extent of the 
island, but agriculture is at so low an ebb, that the 
fertile plains in the interior do not produce more 
corn than is sufficient for six months consumption. 
Many of the inhabitants are employed in ship-build- 
ing in the Turkish dock-yard, and others in culti- 
vating the vineyards, which produce some very plea- 
sant light red wines. The governor of the island 
has the title of Bey : he generally holds his office 
for life ; and to this circumstance perhaps it is 
owing that the people are less oppressed than in 
many parts of the empire. 

Soon after our arrival at Rhodes we engaged a 
small Ionian vessel, the Speranza, Captain Anasta- 
sio Sclavo, to convey us to Scala Nova, but the wind 



508 



blew for a fortnight incessantly from the north-west, 
so that it was impossible to get out of the channel. 
The delightful situation of our quarters, however, 
very well reconciled us to the delay. On the 2nd 
of September the breeze becoming more favour- 
able, we sailed, but we had still to contend with a 
very heavy sea. We passed close under Syma, a 
little island with one solitary village built on the 
side of a steep hill. The male inhabitants are chiefly 
fishermen, and bear the character of expert divers. 
Many of the women emigrate to Rhodes, and are 
employed there as servants. They are remarkable 
for their very singular head-dress, consisting of a 
great quantity of small handkerchiefs tied one over 
the other. They begin with one or two, and as 
their wealth accumulates increase the number, till 
the head is at last swelled out to an enormous size 
and most uncouth shape. 

September 3rd. — We were becalmed, and had the 
opportunity of contemplating at our leisure the fine 
outline of the cliffs and mountains on the coast of 
Caria. 

4th. — The calm still continuing with a heavy 
swell, early in the morning we left the vessel, and 
rowed in the boat to Cape Crio, the ancient 
Cnidus, where we landed. Cape Crio is a peninsula 
of a conical form, united by an isthmus to the main 
land, which slopes down to the south-west. On 
this slope the ancient city was situated, and it is 
still covered with ruins. Capitals, altars, and other 



509 



fragments are scattered over its whole surface, and 
the foundations of several buildings are to be traced 
among the myrtles and other shrubs with which the 
whole site is thickly overgrown. There were two 
ports, divided from each other by the isthmus, on 
the northern side of which there was also an inner 
port or basin defended by round towers. 

About noon the vessel had succeeded in working 
round the promontory, and we re-embarked and 
sailed up the gulf of Cos or Stanchio, which being 
skirted by lofty hills to the eastward, and shut up 
on the west by the island from which it takes its 
name, has the appearance of a large lake. We 
passed within sight of the principal town in the 
island, which stands close to the shore and is sur- 
rounded by lofty groves of planes and sycamores. 
The breeze freshened towards the evening, and at 
dark we anchored under the castle # of Boudroun, 
the ancient Halicarnassus. 

5th. — We went on shore early in the morning. 
The town is small and miserable, although the 
Turks have a dock-yard there, in which a large 
two-decked ship was now building. The only per- 
son we found in the place who could speak Italian 
was a Jewish shopkeeper in the bazar, a self-ap- 
pointed agent or consul, as he called himself, for 
European travellers. As we were very anxious to 

* The knights of Rhodes established themselves at Halicarnassus, 
and built the castle, which they called St. Pedro, a name which 
the Turks have corrupted into Boudroun. 



510 



get into the castle, we went to the Turkish Aga to 
ask his permission. He received us with great po- 
liteness, but excused himself from complying with 
our request, saying that we must apply to the Disdar 
or governor, who was gone into the country, but 
would return in the course of the day. I suspected 
that this was merely a pretence on the part of the 
Aga for not granting us the permission that we de- 
sired, and which he did not like positively to refuse; 
and after waiting for several hours, I again had re- 
course to the Jew, and at his suggestion (though he 
would not venture to accompany us himself) we went 
out in a boat rowed by our own crew to the outer 
angle of the fortress, where the fosse opens upon the 
sea. Here we landed and proceeded to survey the 
castle, which is very large and of the most solid 
construction. At first we were a little apprehensive, 
but not finding any sentinel or other person to in- 
terrupt us, we gradually ascended from one line of 
ramparts to another, till at last we reached the high 
tower in the centre of the building, and might, if 
we had chosen, have carried away the red flag that 
was waving there. After this specimen of the vi- 
gilance of a Turkish garrison we felt quite at our 
ease, and proceeded at leisure to examine the beau- 
tiful remains of ancient sculpture which are worked 
into the wall and counterscarp. They consist of 
various fragments of bas-relief, representing a con- 
flict between Greeks and Amazons. It is an obvious 
supposition that they were ornaments of the mau- 



511 



soleum erected by Artemisia; but from their style 
they may be conjectured to be of a later date than 
the frieze of the Parthenon. They are certainly of a 
period when sculpture had attained the highest point 
of beauty and of force; the spirit of the action and 
symmetry of the figures is unrivalled, and persons 
much better qualified to judge than I am, have pro- 
nounced them to be the most exquisite specimens 
of Grecian art; — yet they are almost unknown, in 
consequence of being placed in a situation so little 
accessible. Several attempts have been made to re- 
move them, but all have failed; and in proportion 
to the anxiety which the Franks evince to possess 
them, will be the reluctance of the Turks to give 
them up. Things which to them appear so worth- 
less, but which they see so much coveted, they will 
naturally suppose to possess some hidden and my- 
sterious value. 

6th. — We set sail early in the morning, and after 
quitting the gulf coasted the Ionian shore with a 
light but favourable breeze. About three o'clock 
we were surprised by a great darkness coming 
on without any appearance of clouds, and we soon 
found that it was owing to the progress of an eclipse 
which in a short time became total, and lasted for 
several minutes. In the evening we were near the 
southern entrance of the straits which divide Samos 
from the main land, the woody mountains of the 
island rising majestically before us. 



512 



7th.™ -We passed through the channel, and land- 
ed about noon at Scala Nova, the ancient Nea- 
polis, a large trading town, but possessing little 
to attract the notice of a traveller. We left it 
in the evening, and after about two hours ride 
over hills descended into the plain of the Cayster. 
We there left our baggage horses to cross the 
river and proceed directly on towards Smyrna, 
while we ourselves with only one attendant took an 
eastern course along the plain, intending to halt for 
the night at Aiasaluk, in order to see the remains 
of Ephesus on the following day. We had scarcely 
parted from our train (which in consequence of the 
accumulation of baggage during a long tour was 
rather numerous), when the sky, which had threat- 
ened rain during the whole evening, became more 
lowering; the clouds darkened, and the thunder was 
heard rolling over the distant mountains. In a short 
time the storm burst upon us with all its vengeance, 
the lightning flashing from every side and illu- 
minating the whole circle of the horizon. In the in- 
tervals all was utter darkness ; and as we had only a 
slight track to guide us, and could not see any dis- 
tant objects, we were almost afraid to stir lest we 
should fall into one of the numerous rivulets and 
ditches which intersect the plain. It was only when 
the atmosphere was enlightened by a sudden flash 
that we could venture to advance a few yards, and 
we were then obliged to halt and wait for another, 



513 



In this way we wandered about till midnight, the rain 
falling in torrents the whole time, when at length 
we discovered a light in the distance. We followed 
its direction, and found it to proceed from an open 
coffee-house, where some of the inhabitants of Aia- 
saluk, whom the fury of the storm deterred from re- 
tiring to rest, were seated round a large fire. Here 
we took refuge, dried our clothes which were com- 
pletely drenched with the rain, and after the never- 
failing restorative of a pipe and coffee, lay down to 
sleep on some mats spread on the floor. 

At Aiasaluk there are the ruins of the ancient 
castle, but the sculptured figures over the gateway- 
have been removed. There is also a fine mosque 
of Saracenic architecture now deserted and falling 
to decay. Ephesus was situated about two miles to 
the westward of Aiasaluk, at the foot of a chain of 
mountains which bound the southern side of the 
plain. The theatre and stadium are easily discer- 
nible, and there are some walls and arches to which 
different names have been given by successive anti- 
quaries; but all attempts to ascertain the site of the 
great temple of Diana have hitherto been fruitless. 

We crossed the Cayster at a ferry about two miles 
from the sea, and came up with our servants at a 
large khan. They had arrived there the preceding 
night ; but on their way several of the horses, ter- 
rified by the fury of the storm, had broke loose and 
escaped into the mountains ; and they had been 
obliged to retrace their steps, and to spend great 

2 L 



514 



part of the day in recovering them and collecting 
the scattered baggage. 

9th. — We crossed an extensive plain to Sedicui^ 
and in the afternoon arrived at Smyrna, where, after 
an interval of nearly two years since my former 
visit, I was glad to find myself once more in the 
hospitable house of Mr. Brant, and to meet with 
several of my old acquaintance, who kindly welcomed 
my return. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



ARCHIPELAGO. ATHENS. ZANTE. 

After a month passed very pleasantly at Smyrna, 
I set out on the 8th of October, and proceeded to 
Chesm£, making a detour from the main road to 
visit the ruins of the ancient Teos, which consist 
of little more than a heap of fine Ionic fragments 
intermixed with olive and bay -trees. A large theatre 
and a temple may be traced, but scarcely one stone 
remains upon another. 

A passage of about two hours conveyed me from 
Chesme to Scio, at that time the most flourishing 
of the Greek islands. The principal town, which 
was situated opposite to the main land, was large 
and populous, and surrounded on all sides by gardens 
and villas. Many of the latter belonged to retired 
Greek merchants, who having made their fortunes 
either at Smyrna, Trieste, or Leghorn, had come to 
pass the remainder of their lives in their native 
island. To one of these, Signor Rodokanaiki, I had 
a letter of introduction ; and he invited me to his 
house, which was fitted up in the European style, and 
contained a library furnished with the best French 
and Italian works. I met there the well-known 
Professor Vamva (Ba^ag) , the director and chief 
promoter of the system of education which was 



516 



established at Scio, and which has been supposed to 
have had some influence in bringing about the re- 
volution to which that unhappy island soon after- 
wards became a victim. The Professor himself, I 
believe, did not anticipate any such event, and 
would rather have owed the liberation of his coun- 
trymen to the increased power and influence which 
would arise from the gradual spread of knowledge 
among them, than to any of those violent insurrec- 
tionary movements which must always be productive 
of an accumulation of crime and misery scarcely 
to be compensated even by the most successful re- 
sult. Accompanied by Vamva I visited the schools 
and college, which were frequented by nearly 700 
pupils, some of them native Sciots, and others re- 
sorting from the islands and provinces of Greece, 
and from the principalities of Moldavia and Walla- 
chia. The instruction in the schools was confined 
chiefly to the ancient and modern Greek languages, 
but in the college it was of a much more extended 
character. Thirteen professors gave daily lectures 
in mathematical and physical science and in modern 
languages ; there was a laboratory and a sufficient 
collection of philosophical apparatus, and an exten- 
sive library, which on certain days was open to the 
public at large. A press also had lately been esta- 
blished, which was at present chiefly employed in 
printing books for the use of the students, but 
which probably had for its ulterior object the diffu- 
sion of knowledge generally throughout Greece. 



517 



The annual expense of these institutions was esti- 
mated atabout 45,000 piastres, then worth about 
1500/. sterling ; which was defrayed partly by a duty 
on exports and imports, partly by voluntary sub- 
scription, and partly by a tax of one per cent upon 
marriage portions, — the state thus obliging all per- 
sons to contribute beforehand towards providing 
the means of education for their future progeny. 

Though the neighbourhood of the town and the 
coast generally of Scio was rich and well cultivated, 
the ridge of mountains which runs through it from 
north to south had the naked and barren appearance 
which is common to almost all the islands of the 
Archipelago. On the eastern side of the mountain 
were the mastic trees, which afforded the chief 
article of export. They grew only on one particular 
spot, and were cultivated by the inhabitants of some 
little villages in the neighbourhood, no stranger 
being allowed to approach without permission from 
the Turkish governor. The mastic is a shrub very 
much resembling the common lentisk, but with 
broader leaves. The gum is collected in August 
and September; an incision being made in the bark, 
it drops on the ground and hardens. A large 
quantity was sent to Constantinople as a tribute to 
the Sultana, to whom the revenues of the island 
belonged ; and the remainder was monopolized by 
the governor, who had the right of pre-emption 
and who retailed it at high prices. 

The population of Scio consisted almost en- 



518 



tirely of Greek schismatics. The numbers of the 
Catholics had of late years very much diminished ; 
and there were only about 2000 Turks in the island, 
most of whom lived in the castle. The government, 
like that of the Greek islands and towns generally, 
was in the hands of a few persons elected from 
among the more wealthy inhabitants, and called 
Primates. The Sciote women had the reputation of 
beauty ; and their faces were certainly handsome and 
animated. The national costume, which was very un- 
becoming to the figure, consisting of a loose jacket 
stuffed and quilted to two inches in thickness, had 
almost disappeared, and had given place to a close 
spencer. This was generally made of light green 
silk ; and though the Turks, who did not like to 
see the daughters of the Giaour arrayed in the 
sacred colour, had made several attempts to prevent 
them from wearing it, they had never been able to 
succeed against female perseverance. The national 
head-dress was still preserved; — a close cap of green 
cloth or velvet, sometimes embroidered with gold, 
and the hair frizzed out in a large bush on each side. 
The custom of blacking the eyebrows, so general 
in the East, did not prevail here, but the cheeks 
were highly painted. The young women had a 
great playfulness and freedom of manners ; and I do 
not recollect ever to have witnessed in the Levant a 
gayer scene than the Sunday evening's promenade 
on the sea-shore. I little thought that of these 
smiling girls some would in a few months be fu- 



519 



gitives and exiles, others sold into slavery, and others 
massacred in ways too horrid for contemplation. 

16th. — A saccoleva bound forNaxia was lying in 
the port of Scio, and I engaged a passage on board, 
stipulating with the master that he should touch at 
Tino and Myconae. We sailed in the middle of the 
day with a fair wind, and anchored in the evening in 
a bay at the southern extremity of the island. 

17th. — Soon after midnight we weighed anchor 
with a light breeze, which died away at noon and 
left us becalmed under a scorching sun. The Eu- 
ropean and Asiatic shores were both in sight, and 
before us was a range of islands which appeared to 
form a barrier across the Archipelago. At sunset 
the breeze again sprung up ; but the sailors mis- 
taking their course during the night, in the morning 
we found ourselves close under the northern shore 
of Tino, and were obliged to spend great part of the 
day in working round to St. Nicola, the principal 
port, which is situated at the opposite side of the 
island. 

Tino is throughout rocky and mountainous ; but 
it is cultivated with great care, the ground being 
laid up in terraces quite to the tops of the hills. 
Most of the inhabitants have passed their youth in 
the capacity of domestic servants in the Christian 
families at Smyrna and Constantinople; and having 
acquired a competence have returned to settle in 
their native country, and have brought back with 
them habits of industry and frugality. The estates 



520 



are small, and it is an established rule that no one 
can be sold without being first offered to the neigh- 
bouring proprietor ; who if not rich enough himself, 
will frequently borrow money to purchase it, and 
return again to servitude till he has acquired enough 
to pay the debt. The population is about twenty 
thousand, exclusively Greek, the schismatics ex- 
ceeding the Catholics by three or four thousand. 
There are sixty-four villages, each of which appoints 
a deputy, and the deputies elect four primates, who 
have the direction of the government. These were 
formerly chosen from among the merchants of St. 
Nicola, who were supposed to be the most intelli- 
gent persons in the island and best qualified for the 
management of affairs ; but some years ago the sy- 
stem was changed. The landed proprietors thought 
it deprived them of their due share of influence, 
and succeeded after a struggle in electing the pri- 
mates from among themselves. In an excursion 
which I made into the interior I met one of these 
representatives of the squirearchy of Tino, dressed 
in a white jacket and nightcap, and riding on a 
mule without saddle or bridle. A Turkish Aga re- 
sided at the castle of St. Nicola ; but he never inter- 
fered in affairs except applied to by the local au- 
thorities, and had little to do but to receive his 
salary and smoke his pipe. 

2 1 st.— Myconae is divided from Tino by a nar- 
row channel, which we were about two hours in 
crossing with a light breeze. The principal town 



521 



is built in the shape of a crescent along the shore 
of a bay which opens to the westward. The surface 
of the island is more level than that of Tino, but the 
soil is unproductive; there is a scarcity of water, 
and hardly a tree to be seen. The inhabitants are 
almost all mariners, and are reckoned among the 
most skilful of the Archipelago. Neither themselves 
nor their children ever condescend to service like 
their Teniote neighbours ; but few of them are em- 
ployed in agriculture, and the island is badly culti- 
vated. The population is estimated at six or seven 
thousand. The costume of the women is the most 
singular and the most picturesque of any in the 
Greek islands. They wear a coloured jacket with 
very full white sleeves a fevesque, and over it a 
sort of braces crossed behind with a large knot or 
button. Their head-dress is a turban of red plush 
with a large lappet hanging down the back; the 
petticoat comes no lower than the knee ; the slippers 
are of various colours, and have high wooden heels ; 
the stockings are either red, blue, or black; some- 
times one is of one colour and the other of another; 
and a stout leg being thought a beauty, those of 
the fair Myconiotes, to whom Nature has not been 
bountiful in that respect, generally put on several 
pair. 

24th. — I made an excursion to Delos, which is 
now a desolate and uninhabited island. It is inter- 
sected from north to south by Mount Cynthus, and 
the plain on the western side is thickly strewed with 



522 



the ruins of ancient buildings. Scarcely a frag- 
ment is standing; but it is easy to trace the remains 
of a theatre, a circus, several reservoirs, and a large 
temple (supposed to be that of Apollo), with columns 
partially fluted like those at Sardis*. 

27th. — -We sailed from Myconae, and early the 
next morning landed at Naxia. This island is the 
largest of the Cyclades ; the principal town is on 
the western side, built partly on the beach and 
partly on a high and steep cliff. The upper part is 
called the Castro, and is occupied entirely by the 
aristocracy, the Sommarivas descended from the 
dukes of the Archipelago, the Sforzas, the Crespis, 
the Barozzis, &c, who though fallen into poverty 
and decay, still value themselves highly on their 
ancestry and their profession of the Catholic reli- 
gion, and hold in great contempt the plebeians and 
schismatics of the lower town. — The English vice- 
consul Signor Nicola Frangopouli, with whom I 
lodged, was of a noble family; and though very hos- 
pitable and ceremoniously polite, was fully im- 
pressed with the dignity of his high birth as well 
as of his high office. In the Castro there is a very 
handsome cathedral and two large convents ; mo- 
numents of the former importance of the place, 
when it was the seat of government of the Archi- 
pelago. The weather was so bad during my stay 
at Naxia that I could see very little of the island. 
It is girt with high rocks; but the plains in the in- 
*See page 53. 



523 



terior are very fertile, and the vineyards on the slopes 
of the hills produce a variety of wines, some of which 
do not disgrace the favourite abode of Bacchus. 

The greater part of the islands in the Archipe- 
lago were under the jurisdiction of the Captain 
Pasha, and his dragoman, the Greek prince Nicola 
Morousi was making a progress through them, and 
was now at Naxia. These visits were the signals 
for avaniahs, which were extorted under every 
possible pretext, and the unfortunate inhabitants 
had as little forbearance to expect from their own 
countrymen as from the Turks. Morousi on 
this occasion assumed as much consequence of 
manner and pomp of appearance as if he had been 
the Captain Pasha himself. He wore a splendid 
Galiongi dress, and was surrounded by seventy or 
eighty hungry Greeks, who behaved to him with 
the greatest obsequiousness, and indemnified them- 
selves by a corresponding insolence to the islanders. 
He was a young man, of about twenty-five, spoke 
French very well, and was exceedingly polite though 
fully imbued with national vanity. His career 
was short, as he was one of the earliest victims of 
the revolution, and was put to death at Constan- 
tinople a few months after I saw him, with circum- 
stances of singular cruelty. 

Nov. 1st. — I engaged an open row boat to take 
me to Paros. The harbour of Ausa which lies op- 
posite to Naxia is large, but being exposed to the 
northerly winds it is little frequented. We coasted 
the island till we arrived at Parrychia, the principal 



524 



town and port, but a wretched place. The cathedral 
is very ancient, and is said to have been built by the 
architect of St. Sophia. It is in the shape of a 
Greek cross with a cupola in the centre, and chapels 
at each of the angles, and in front there is a court 
surrounded by a colonnade. The castle, which stands 
on a slight elevation near the town, is constructed 
almost entirely of ancient marbles of rude work- 
manship, the remains of some large temple of the 
Doric order. The surface of the island is divided 
by a range of high mountains. It is tolerably fer- 
tile, producing both wine and corn ; but the total 
want of wood gives it a naked and desolate appear- 
ance. The marble quarries are excavated in a 
mountain near the coast : they extend to a great 
length, but are low and narrow, scarcely allowing 
room for more than one person to go in at a time. 
The site of a temple had lately been discovered on 
an eminence near the town and at about three 
hundred yards from the sea-shore. It was of the 
Doric order, and from some inscriptions found on 
a block of marble seems to have been dedicated to 
Esculapius. They refer to the custom of the parent 
offering the first cut lock of his child's hair to that 
divinity and to Hygeia. 





JHNTTPAT^TMHT^NTPU A 
THN E<^h01HN k£l?A CEOHKETTTPA 
TONEIKO-CAIKAHTT )A AOYAE 

KAHni/irr eiateaqTon/iy 

T<£ CYTTE? T<>Y¥OY tTTAT^TsEl 
KOYXAPIN 









525 



Antiparos is separated from the sister-island by 
a narrow channel. Its inhabitants are not more 
than two hundred in number, all living in one vil- 
lage ; and the greater part of the land is overgrown 
with wild thyme and mastic bushes, and affords pas- 
turage only to a few goats. The grotto is at the 
southern end of the island, about an hour and a half s 
ride from the village. At the entrance to it there 
is a small chapel. The descent is at first sloping 
and very slippery, and we supported ourselves by a 
cord stretched out by the side of the path. It af- 
terwards becomes nearly perpendicular, and a ladder 
is necessary. The grotto rather disappointed my 
expectation. Its beauty has been much injured, by 
many of the finer petrifactions having been broken 
off to be carried away as relics, and the whole of the 
interior is blackened by the smoke of torches. To 
see it to advantage would require at least a hundred 
lights placed in different directions behind the sta- 
lactites, which would then have the appearance of 
pendant alabaster lamps. 

Soon after my arrival at Parrychia I engaged a 
vessel lying in the port to convey me to Athens. It 
was of the class called Trebaccala, rigged with two 
square sails which are attached to the masts by rings, 
and are raised and lowered very expeditiously. The 
wind however was so contrary and the weather so 
squally, that I was detained nearly a week in the 
house of the English agent, a Greek named Sardy. 
Time passed very heavily, as the rain confined me 



526 



almost constantly to my quarters, which were not 
the most comfortable. In the evenings I sometimes 
amused myself by giving a ball, which in the Greek 
islands is a matter of very little expense Or diffi- 
culty. It is only to send for a musician and a cake 
of Halvah 5 *, and the young women will flock in 
without further invitation, and dance for hours 
with as much alacrity as if inspired by Gunter or 
Colinet. 

Nov. 6th. — We set sail, and were scarcely out of 
the harbour when the wind became so strong against 
us that we were obliged to put back again, and it 
was not till the 8th that we finally got clear of the 
island. In the evening we were off Syra, and we 
passed the night in beating through the channel be- 
tween Thermia and Zea with a head-wind and very 
heavy sea, our boat not being very well qualified to 
contend with either. 

9th. — In the morning the wind shifting a little 
to the southward, our progress was more rapid. We 
saw from afar the white columns of the temple of 
Minerva Sunias, and — 

e< Hail'd the gay clime of battle and of song." 

About noon we were close under Cape Colonna; 
when just as we were preparing to drop the anchor, 
one of those sudden squalls which are frequent in 
the Archipelago came from off the land. We were 
obliged instantly to lower the sails, to put the ves- 

* The common cake of the Levant, composed chiefly I believe, 
of honey, and very sweet and sickly. 



527 



sel about, and let her drift before the wind, which 
blew a hurricane from the north-west accompanied 
by a violent torrent of rain, and in about an hour 
and a half drove us back to Zea, where there is a 
small but secure port protected on all sides by high 
hills. 

10th. — We walked up to the town, which is about 
a mile from the shore in a very picturesque situa- 
tion, the houses being scattered on the side of a 
deep glen. It has a small castle, which was oc- 
cupied by the English vice-consul Signor Pan- 
golo and his family, with whom we dined and pass- 
ed the day. Zea contains about six thousand inha- 
bitants. It is better cultivated than most of the 
neighbouring islands, and its wines, if they can be 
procured pure, are perhaps the best that the Archi- 
pelago produces, but, like the rest, they are almost 
always strongly impregnated with rosin. 

11th and 12th. — It continued to blow violently 
from the north-west, and we could not leave the 
harbour. 

13th.— The wind having shifted to the north-east, 
we sailed in the morning, and in three hours ar- 
rived once more off Cape Colonna. This time we 
succeeded in landing in the little port of Sunium, 
and climbed up the cliffs, which are steep though 
not lofty, to the temple of Minerva. Of this edifice, 
which appears to have been as beautiful in its de- 
sign as remarkable from its position, there are now 
but small remains. Nine columns only are standing 



52S 



on the south-west side, three on the north-east, and 
three in the front, which faced the angle of the 
promontory. They are of the Doric order ; and 
their brilliant white colour, occasioned probably by 
the effect of the sea air on the marble, makes them 
conspicuous at a great distance. Their situation is 
most beautiful ; placed amid a shrubbery of ever- 
greens on the brow of the cliff, they command a 
view over the whole of the southern part of the 
Archipelago, which was now enlivened by the white 
sails of the numerous vessels, the svtpogrou vqzg ^eXoc^ 
yirihg, just escaped from port after the late storm. 

In the evening we sailed up the gulf, and an- 
chored under the western point of Egina ; and the 
next morning we anchored within the mole of the 
ancient city, near to which, within the last thirty 
years, a new town has sprung up, consisting of 
about a hundred houses, with some large maga- 
zines. An Albanian in the service of the Captain 
Pacha resided there as governor, and he very civilly 
supplied us with horses to ride to the temple of 
Jupiter Panhellenius, which is situated at the eastern 
extremity of the island. The road lay through a 
picturesque valley, and on our right we saw the old 
town supposed by Chandler to be the ancient Oea, 
on the side of a steep hill. The eastern shore of 
the island is steep and rugged, and thickly covered 
with oaks, pines, and evergreen shrubs. On an 
eminence among these, commanding a fine view of 
the gulf with its islands, the shores of Attica, and 



529 



the Acropolis of Athens., is situated the temple 
which is supposed to be one of the most ancient 
specimens of the Doric order. It is built of grey 
stone, and appears to have been covered with stucco- 
The entablature and part of the building was thrown 
down by an earthquake, which buried also the cele- 
brated statues in the pediment since recovered by 
Mr. Cockerell and his associates ; but by the caprice 
of Nature those parts which remain are but little 
injured. About thirty columns are still standing, 
and form a singularly picturesque group. 

On our return to the town we supped with the 
Albanian Aga, who made so free with some rum 
which we presented to him, that he was obliged at 
last to be carried off by his servants.— The next 
morning we sailed with a favourable wind, and 
in about three hours I arrived once more in the 
Piraeus. A voyage in the Archipelago performed 
in the boats of the country is at this time of year 
exceedingly tedious and uncomfortable. The ac- 
commodations on board them are very bad ; their 
awkward shapes and unwieldy rigging, combined 
with the timidity and unskilfulness of the sailors, 
render them quite unfit to contend with bad wea- 
ther and contrary winds, and of course subject the 
passenger to long and frequent detentions, which 
generally happen in those islands where he would 
the least wish to stay. After five weeks therefore 
spent thus unsatisfactorily, I was glad to find myself 

2 M 



530 



at Athens, comfortably lodged in a detached house 
belonging to Signor Francesco Vitali. 

Athens was at this time a most delightful resting- 
place, and it was not simply to the recollections or 
to the relics of antiquity that it owed its attractions. 
A variety of happy circumstances conspired to give 
it that indescribable charm which induced many 
travellers to while away months there without any 
determinate object, and permitted few to leave it 
without unfeigned regret. Placed in the centre of 
a dry and healthy plain, which is protected on the 
north and east by mountains, and open to the sea 
on the south, the climate, with the exception of a 
few weeks of rain and storms early in the year and 
of intense heat in the height of summer, may be 
called a perpetual spring : the skies are often for 
days together without a cloud ; the trees being all 
evergreen banish the idea of winter ; and the turf at 
Christmas is covered with anemonies in full bloom. 
The surrounding scenery, if not of the grandest, is 
of the most beautiful order, and it is peculiarly cha- 
racterized by an air of tranquillity and repose. The 
mountains slope gently down and melt almost im- 
perceptibly into the plain ; the sea, broken by 
promontories and islands, exhibits the placid sur- 
face of a lake ; the ground, though it cannot boast 
of any rich verdure, harmonizes in colour with the 
pale green of the woods and the clear blue of the 
atmosphere ; and the majestic remains of antiquity 



531 



combine happily with the landscape, and present 
themselves at every step in a new and picturesque 
point of view. He who has once stood on the hill 
of the Museum, and has seen the long range of 
Mount Hymettus tinged with the purple hue of the 
heath and wild thyme the cone-shaped Anches- 
mus rising gracefully from the plain, and the airy 
summit of Pentelicus beyond it ; the solitary co- 
lumns of the temple of Jupiter, the golden-tinted 
Parthenon, and the rocky hill of the Areopagus ; 
the vast olive grove changing its hue perpetually 
from the brightest to the darkest green as the 
light clouds flit over it ; the pine-covered slopes of 
Mount Parnes, the distant summits of Parnassus, 
the acropolis of Corinth, and the mountains of the 
Peloponnesus ; the port of the Piraeus, and the gulf 
of Salamis with its indented shores, — will never 
forget the impression produced by an assemblage 
of objects as unique perhaps with regard to natural 
beauty as to classical interest. 

The antiquities of Athens are too well known to 
need a minute description, but I cannot pass them 
over without some slight notice f . Though few in 

* " Purpureos colles florentis Hymetti." Ovid, Ars Am. lib. iii. 
The name of the mountain has undergone a singular fate. From 
Monte Imetto the Italians corrupted it into Monte Matto, and 
the Greeks have again translated the Italian literally, and call it 
TpeXo Bovvo, "The Mad Mountain." 

f The reader who may be desirous of more information is re- 
ferred to the fine plates of Stuart, and to the excellent Topogra- 
phy of Athens, by Colonel Leake, who has illustrated the sub- 
ject with his usual learning, accuracy, and clearness. 

2 m 2 



532 



number, they are the most beautiful as well as the 
most curious in existence. Unlike the vast masses 
of brick-work which we see at Rome, and which, 
having been despoiled of their original rich casing, 
remain now in naked deformity, the Athenian build- 
ings are, with one or two exceptions, of solid 
marble, nor are there any neighbouring chef-d'oeu- 
vres of modern architecture to distract our atten- 
tion or to share our admiration. The temple of 
Theseus is an almost perfect model of the Doric 
order ; for though most of the ornaments have been 
removed or defaced, the architectural part of the 
building remains entire, with the exception of the 
roof of the cella, and of the porticos. It has six 
columns at each of the fronts, and thirteen at each 
of the sides, making together thirty-four, and their 
height is about nineteen feet. It has also within 
the porticos a pronaos and posticum, each with 
two columns in Antis. The statues have wholly 
disappeared from the eastern pediment, and there 
are no traces of any having ever been placed in the 
western. There are eighteen sculptured metopes 
and two friezes much mutilated, which are ex- 
plained to represent the labours of Hercules and 
of Theseus, the wars of the giants, and the combats 
of the Centaurs and Lapithae. The temple of The- 
seus was built by Cimon son of Miltiades, in com- 
pliance with the injunction of the Pythian oracle, 
thirty or forty years before the Parthenon was 
begun. It is now a Greek church dedicated to St. 



533 



George., whose exploits are probably supposed to 
bear some analogy to those of the Athenian hero ; 
and of late years it has been the burial-place for the 
English who have died in Greece. Mr. Walpole's 
Greek pentameters are inscribed on the stone which 
covers Tweddell's remains, and a Latin inscription 
of equal length commemorates the more humble 
merits of an English lady's waiting-maid who re- 
poses beside him. 

On the opposite side of the Acropolis, near the 
banks of the Ilissus and a fountain which still retains 
the poetical name of Callirrhoe, there is a group 
of marble columns standing on a raised platform. 
They are sixteen in number, six feet in diameter, 
and more than sixty feet high ; the remains of a vast 
edifice, which was surrounded by a peristyle of a 
hundred and twenty columns of similar dimensions. 
There seems to be little doubt that it was the temple 
of Jupiter Olympius, begun by Pisistratus and 
finished about six hundred years afterwards by 
Adrian. The columns are perhaps the finest spe- 
cimens of the ancient Corinthian order now in ex- 
istence, and their effect is the more imposing from 
their solitary situation, without the walls of the 
modern town and detached from all other build- 
ings. At a small distance from these columns is a 
Corinthian arch of much smaller proportions, but 
in good preservation. It now stands in the line of 
the modern wall, and serves for an entrance to the 
town ; but it was originally, as appears from the 



534 



inscription on each front, a boundary to distinguish 
the more ancient part of Athens from that which 
was rebuilt and beautified by Adrian and called after 
his name. 

One of the most conspicuous of the Athenian 
ruins is the monument of Philopappus on the sum- 
mit of the hill of the Museum. It was built by a 
Syrian of that name, a descendant of the Antiochi, 
and was ornamented with statues of himself and 
some of his ancestors placed in niches, and a bas- 
relief representing a triumph of the Emperor Tra- 
jan, in whose reign he flourished. One third part 
of the building has fallen down, and the sculptures 
are much mutilated. The figures are in Roman 
dresses, and appear to have been executed with 
considerable spirit. 

The octagonal tower of Andronicus Cyrrhestes, 
vulgarly called the Tower of the Winds, was 
intended to answer the manifold purpose of a 
weathercock, a sundial, and a waterclock. It is 
exceedingly curious as being the only ancient 
building of the kind remaining, and as being very 
accurately described by the ancient authors ; but it 
possesses little architectural beauty, and the bas- 
relief figures on the eight sides, however ingenious 
as emblems of the different winds they are intended 
to represent, have little elegance of design, and look 
much better in Stuart's engravings than in the ori- 
ginal marble. The tower, being in the heart of the 
modern town, is much blackened by the smoke from 



535 



the surrounding houses ; but in other respects it 
is very well preserved, having been appropriated 
as a Tekeh or chapel for a college of whirling 
dervishes. 

The choragic monument of Lysicrates, commonly 
called the Lantern of Demosthenes, is, or was, a 
little relic of exquisite beauty. A square basement 
supported a small circular structure composed of 
six slender fluted Corinthian pillars, the intervals 
of which were filled up with marble panels. The 
capitals were of most delicate workmanship ; the 
frieze was ornamented with highly finished bas- 
reliefs representing the story of Bacchus and the 
Tyrrhenian pirates # , and the whole was surmounted 
by a Tholus or cupola of one block of marble, 
carved on the outside in imitation of leaves, and 
terminating at the apex in a rich and highly finished 
flower. This monument was exactly in such a state 
of preservation as left no uncertainty with regard 
to its general effect, but gave ample employment to 
the ingenuity of artists in endeavouring to restore 
the details of particular parts. It was partially in- 
closed by the walls of the Capuchin convent; and 
one of the panels having been removed, the interior, 
which was about six feet in diameter, formed a 
closet in an adjoining apartment. The circum- 
stance to which it for many years owed its security, 
has since been, I fear, the cause of its destruction. 
The convent was burnt down during the siege, and 

* See Ovid. Metam. iii. 605. 



536 



so delicate a work of art could hardly escape with- 
out material injury. 

Besides these, which are the most important of 
the Athenian remains without the Acropolis, there 
is a Doric gateway, supposed to have been the en- 
trance to the new Agora or market-place, and a 
large walled enclosure with a Corinthian colonnade, 
which has been taken for the temple of Jupiter 
Olympius, but which it seems now agreed to call 
the Stoa or porch of Adrian. The Ionic columns 
at the foot of Mount Anchesmus, and the temple 
of the same order on the banks of the Ilissus, which 
are given in Stuart's work, have since disappeared ; 
the Odeum of Herodes Atticus, which he mistook 
for the theatre of Bacchus, is deprived of its 
marble casing, and the rough hewn stone arches 
alone remain ; and the theatre of Bacchus itself, 
though its site seems to be satisfactorily ascertained, 
might be passed without notice by an ordinary ob- 
server. The Areopagus is now a naked rock with- 
out a single habitation ; the Pnyx, with its jS^a or 
pulpit, has been brought to light by some modern 
excavations ; and the stadium, though entirely 
stripped of its marble seats, retains its form unim- 
paired. The site of the Lyceum must be left wholly 
to conjecture ; but that of the rival school may be 
referred to some gardens amid the olive grove, 
which are still called " Akadhemia." 

The approach to the Acropolis is at the north- 
western angle of the rock, and is probably the same 



537 



which was used by the horses and carriages of the 
ancient Athenians. The steps by which foot pas- 
sengers ascended may still be traced, but they led 
to an entrance now closed up. The Propylaea of the 
citadel, which were among the most renowned of 
the works of Pericles, were so much damaged by 
the explosion of a powder magazine, and are so 
completely blocked up with rubbish and encum- 
bered by modern walls and towers, that their ori- 
ginal design is no longer obvious, and the tra- 
vellers and artists of the last century fell into some 
errors and confusion in their description of them. 
These however have been corrected by the more 
leisurely and more accurate observations of our con- 
temporaries, and the plan of the building may now 
be considered as satisfactorily ascertained. A Doric 
portico of six columns surmounted by a pediment 
led into a vestibule, whose roof was supported by 
six Ionic columns, and which communicated again 
by five doors with another portico, also of the Doric 
order, facing the east, and open to the platform of 
the Acropolis. The entrance was flanked by two 
buildings advanced considerably beyond the line of 
its front, which from their position, and from the 
simplicity as well as the solidity of their construc- 
tion, were evidently meant as defences. Much dif- 
ference of opinion has existed as to these edifices :— 
that on the north of the portico was long supposed 
to be the temple of Victory-without-wings, but it 
seems more probable that it was the Pcecile or pic- 



538 



ture gallery, and that the temple of Victory was a 
small Ionic building noticed by the travellers of the 
seventeenth century but now destroyed ; while that 
on the south, supposed to be the picture gallery, is 
found to have been nothing more than an open 
portico, and a side passage into the Acropolis. 

To those who entered the Acropolis from the 
centre of the Doric portico, the Parthenon presented 
itself in perspective, and must have had a most pic- 
turesque effect : the modern approach on the south 
side of the Propylaeum, is under present circum- 
stances the most advantageous, as it brings the 
stranger directly upon the western front, which is 
by far the most perfect part of the building ; and 
at a distance seems to have sustained little injury, 
except the loss of the cornice on the upper part of 
the pediment. The temple was what is called Oc- 
tastyle, having eight columns in each front, and 
seventeen on the sides, in all forty-six. Its length 
was upwards of two hundred, its breadth upwards 
of one hundred, and its height upwards of sixty 
feet; and though these dimensions may appear 
small when compared with those of some modern 
buildings, yet the simplicity and unity of the design 
produce a grandeur of effect far beyond that of many 
larger edifices which are split and broken into a 
multitude of parts. At each end of the cell was a 
portico or pronaos of six columns, and the cell 
itself was divided into two unequal apartments. The 
eastern chamber, which was supported by sixteen 



539 



columns— of what order is uncertain, contained the 
famous statue of Minerva carved in gold and ivory : 
the western, which was the smallest, and had but 
six columns of support, was called the Opisthodo- 
mus, and was the treasury of the Athenians. On 
the two pediments were colossal groups, one repre- 
senting the birth of Minerva, and the other the 
contest between that divinity and Neptune. The 
frieze of the portico was ornamented with ninety- 
two metopes, carved in high relief, and represent- 
ing the conflicts of the Greeks with the Centaurs 
and Amazons, which seem to have been as favourite 
and fertile a source of subjects to the ancient sculp- 
tors, as the saints and martyrs were to the modern 
Italian painters. Just below the ceiling of the peri- 
style, a beautiful range of bas-reliefs, representing 
the procession at the Panathenaic festival, formed a 
continued frieze round the whole of the cella. Such 
was the Parthenon as it came from the hands of Phi- 
dias ; and such, with almost less dilapidation than 
might have been expected from the operation of time 
alone, it remained for more than twenty centuries. 

Paganism lingered long at Athens, and resigned 
at last her sacred edifices uninjured to a religion 
which was already strongly tinctured with kindred 
superstitions. As the hero St. George succeeded 
to the hero Theseus, so the Virgin Goddess was sup- 
planted by the Virgin Mother, and the Parthenon 
became the church of the Panagia. The Turks 
converted it into a mosque, and it is to them pro- 



540 



bably that the bas-reliefs owe their present state of 
mutilation : but it is lamentable to think that its 
last and most deplorable ruin was reserved for a ci- 
vilized and polite age, and a people renowned for 
their patronage of the arts. In 1676, when Sir 
George Wheler visited Athens, the Parthenon was 
nearly entire ; the only dilapidation at least that he 
noticed, was that the statues had fallen from the 
eastern pediment; but in 1687 the Venetian Moro- 
sini, having conquered the Morea, made a wanton 
expedition into Attica, and laid siege to the Acro- 
polis, during the progress of which, a powder ma- 
gazine established by the Turks in the temple blew 
up, and totally destroyed the centre of the building. 
From that period the progress of decay became 
accelerated; and all that now remains is the western 
front, with the columns of the inner portico ; the 
eastern front, with its frieze and architrave but with 
very small remains of the pediment ; about twelve 
of the side columns of the peristyle ; and the west- 
ern end of the cella, with its frieze entire. — What- 
ever more of the frieze survived the explosion ; the 
statues on the pediments ; and all the metopes that 
remained on the south side of the temple, many of 
which were already tottering to their fall, were re- 
moved by Lord Elgin. The damage done to the 
building in that operation has been I believe greatly 
exaggerated : and after witnessing the events of the 
last few years, he must be strongly imbued with 
personal pique or national rancour who does not 



541 



rejoice that such precious remains are safely depo- 
sited in the British Museum. 

To the northward of the Parthenon, and almost 
close to the hrow of the rock, which in this part is 
very steep, stands the building called the Erectheum, 
which was composed of the united temples of 
Minerva Polias, and of Pandrosus, and contained 
the sacred olive and the salt spring, the supposed 
memorials of the contest between Neptune and 
Minerva. These have disappeared ; but the temple, 
(which was built on the site of one more ancient,) 
remains a most beautiful specimen of Greek Ionic, 
and the model from which all modern buildings 
of that order have been taken. The volutes, the 
mouldings, the honeysuckles, and other ornaments, 
are cut in the marble with a sharpness of which 
even brass would scarcely be supposed capable. It 
has three porticos ; one of six fluted columns facing 
the east, and another, with four columns in front and 
one on each side, facing the north ; the third, which 
faces the south, was supported by six caryatids, two 
of which have been removed and their place supplied 
by brick piers, and the rest are cruelly mutilated. 
The northern portico was walled up and used as a 
powder magazine by the Turks, and this beautiful 
and curious structure was in daily jeopardy of sha- 
ring the fate of the Propylaeum and the Parthenon # . 

* I have spoken of all the ancient monuments at Athens as in 
the state in which they were when I saw them. There has not 
yet been published any precise account of the damage done to 



542 



The modern town was situated partly on the slope 
of the hill and partly on the plain, on the northern 
and north-western side of the Acropolis. It was 
surrounded by a wall flanked with towers, and in- 
closing a much larger area than was occupied by 
buildings. There were very few good houses, and 
the streets were narrow, but it was on the whole 
cleaner than Turkish or Greek towns generally are. 
The population was estimated at ten or twelve thou- 
sand, about a fifth part of whom were Turks ; the 
rest were either Greeks or Albanians, the traders 
and artizans being chiefly of the former, and the 
agricultural labourers of the latter nation. Athens 
however was a place of but little trade except in 
oil; and the upper classes of the inhabitants, both 
Greeks and Turks, drew their revenue chiefly from 
their olive grounds, which were cultivated with great 
care, and subject, as in ancient times, to strict regu- 
lations. The town and neighbouring district since 
its conquest by Mahomet the Second, had been an 
appanage of the Sultans harem, and was under the 
jurisdiction of the Kislar Aga, or chief of the black 
eunuchs, who appointed the Waywode or governor. 
Owing perhaps partly to this circumstance and 
partly to its remote situation, the Turkish yoke was 
felt less heavily there than in any other part of the 
empire, and a freedom of manners and of inter- 
course prevailed among the Rayah subjects, which I 

them in the late sieges ; but from what we have heard we may 
hope that it has been trifling. 



543 



scarcely recollect to have observed except in places 
where there was a numerous Frank population. 
The " genius loci" seemed to have had the effect of 
mitigating the ferocity of the Turks themselves, who 
were universally civil and well-behaved, had gene- 
rally adopted the Greek language, and were many 
of them ignorant of their own. The Waywode and 
the Cadi seldom interfered, except when appealed 
to, in the affairs of the Greek population, who ge- 
nerally carried their disputes before the tribunal of 
their Archbishop ; and the payment of the tribute, 
and other matters of internal regulation, were in the 
hands of Primates, by courtesy called Archons. 
This joint system of administration was supposed 
to be very corrupt ; but it produced great order and 
tranquillity, and crimes or disturbances were seldom 
heard of. 

A stranger, if not very fastidious, might find at 
Athens all the accommodations that he could desire : 
there was an hotel kept by an Italian, who had 
formerly been servant to an English gentleman, 
and several very comfortable private lodging-houses 
belonging to respectable Greek families ; or if 
he preferred greater retirement or more classical 
associations, he might be received at the Capuchin 
convent, and might lay his pillow in the Lantern of 
Demosthenes. The necessaries and even the lux- 
uries of life might be procured at a very moderate 
rate, and in tolerable abundance. Vegetables and 
fruit were brought in from the gardens of Patisia, a 



544 



neighbouring village ; the bees of Hymettus fur- 
nished us with honey, and the vineyards of Zea with 
wine. Of meat and poultry there was no great va- 
riety, but their place was supplied by fish and game ; 
and an epicure might excuse the monotony of a 
table at which red mullets and woodcocks were 
standing dishes. 

The Franks residing at Athens were few in num- 
ber, but almost all of them were persons of talent 
and information, artists chiefly, who having been led 
thither by professional pursuits had settled in this 
favoured spot, and employed themselves in excava- 
ting, in collecting antiquities, or in other occupations 
connected with the arts. The quarrels of these rival 
connoisseurs have occasionally afforded a theme of 
merriment # ; but however much they might disagree 
among themselves, the only rivalship they exercised 
towards strangers, was how they could be most 
useful to them. M. Gropius, a Prussian, was pos- 
sessed of much local information, which he always 
readily communicated ; and in his capacity of banker 
he rendered still more substantial services. The mu- 
seum of M. Fauvel the French consul was open to 
travellers of every nation, and he had always some 
ingenious and amusing remarks to make on the dif- 
ferent objects which it contained. But the most fre- 
quent cicerone of the English was the well known 
Giambattista Lusieri, whose name has been mention- 
ed in almost every recent book of travels in Greece. 
* See Notes to Childe Harold, Canto 2. 



545 



He accompanied Lord Elgin from Italy as an 
artist^ and was afterwards employed in superintend- 
ing the removal of the marbles, and had his full 
share of the obloquy which that proceeding drew 
upon all who were concerned in it. After its com- 
pletion he still remained in Athens, built a large 
house there in a very fine situation, and exercised 
great hospitality towards travellers till his pecuniary 
means became contracted either by some unfortu- 
nate speculations or by some disagreement with his 
patron. As a painter in water-colours he was of 
the very first class ; the accuracy of his drawing, 
the delicacy of his finishing, aud the brilliancy of 
his colouring, were quite extraordinary. He was 
now employed on a large panoramic view of the 
plain of Attica, which he was labouring with the 
greatest exactness and diligence. Day after day did 
this indefatigable veteran pass on the hill of the 
Museum ; and his meagre figure, his drawing ap- 
paratus, and the large umbrella over his head, are 
as much attached to the spot in the recollection of 
those who have visited Athens, as the monument of 
Philopappus itself. But he attempted an accuracy 
and minuteness of delineation which seemed hardly 
consistent with the mutable nature of the objects of 
landscape and the brevity of human life. Before 
one part of his outline was complete, the growth 
of trees or the alteration of buildings had made 
it necessary to erase another ; and the sarcastic 
Fauvel, who was on bad terms with him, had some 



546 



ground for saying that " one half of his time was 
spent in drawing, and the other in rubbing out." 
I well recollect walking with him in his garden 
one fine spring evening, in company with another 
English gentleman, when we remonstrated with him 
on this procrastination, and hinted our apprehen- 
sions that in consequence of it he would not leave 
behind him so many finished performances as his 
admirers could wish. But he excused himself by 
saying that colouring was so fascinating an employ- 
ment, that he feared if he once began it he should 
never again have patience to return to the dry de- 
tails of outline ; and that therefore (though he ac- 
knowledged himself to be in his seventy-fourth 
year, and had his portfolio crowded with sketches,) 
he reserved it as an amusement for his more ad- 
vanced age. Two mornings afterwards he was found 
dead in the chair in which he had been left sitting 
the preceding evening, his supper remaining before 
him, like his drawings, unfinished. His death was 
much regretted, as he was both an useful and agree- 
able companion. He was strongly attached to the 
English nation ; and a simple tablet over his tomb in 
the garden of the Capuchin convent, if it yet remains, 
bears an inscription purporting that it was placed 
there by the English at Athens, as a tribute to his 
talents and in grateful remembrance of his services. 

Of occasional residents and of visitors at Athens 
there was a constant variety. English architects 
measuring and delineating the ancient monuments 



547 



with scrupulous exactness ; French artists resto- 
ring them into shapes which would probably have 
startled the contemporaries of Phidias ; and amateur 
travellers contented with simply admiring them : 
scholars studying the classics in this congenial 
retirement ; and young officers from the garrison 
at Corfu, uniting the pursuits of the antiquary 
with the frolic of the barrack-room. In the course 
of the winter the Cambrian frigate anchored in 
the Piraeus, bringing Lord Strangford with a nu- 
merous suite on their way to Constantinople ; and 
during the fortnight that they remained the place 
wore the appearance of an English colony. The 
different characters thus assembled, being united 
by a common pursuit, lived (with a few exceptions) 
on terms of intimacy with each other, and formed 
a varied and amusing society, in which several of 
the native Greek families, who from their frequent 
intercourse with foreigners had become accustomed 
to Frank manners and usages, occasionally joined. 
The Athenian ladies had the reputation of being 
more lively and gay than their countrywomen in 
general, and some few of them could speak Italian 
with tolerable ease, and were not unskilled in Eu- 
ropean accomplishments. M lle Rocque (the daugh- 
ter of a Frenchman intermarried with a Greek) was 
much admired by those of her own nation ; and a 
succession of English travellers have paid their 
homage to the attractions of the sisters Macri, 
better known perhaps as the Maids of Athens. 

2 n 2 



548 



At the ordinary evening parties the amusements 
consisted in playing at Trianda-mia, in listening 
to a Greek song% or in joining in some national 
jeu de societe. But other entertainments were not 
wanting ; balls were frequently given by the En- 
glish travellers, as well as by M. Logotheti the 
English vice-consul, at which the dull Romaika 
was generally varied by a country-dance or a waltz, 
and the Carnival did not pass over without some 
attempts at a masquerade. A party of Indian 
jugglers who came out in the Cambrian exhibited 
their tricks to the astonished natives ; and the mid- 
shipmen acted a comedy (not one of Menander's) 
on board the frigate in the Piraeus. 

But these gaieties were soon to cease, and Athens 
was destined to witness a very different scene. 
The existence of the society of Hetarists was well 
known there, and their projects had been dimly 
hinted at by some of the Frank residents who 
were admitted into their secrets. But the winter 
had passed away in tranquillity, and the public 
attention was entirely directed to Ali Pasha, who 
still maintained himself at Yannina ; so that we 
were quite taken by surprise when we heard of 
Ypsilanti's irruption into the principalities, and 
of the execution of the Greek Patriarch at Constan- 

* The Romaic language adapts itself extremely well to music, 
and I have heard Greek songs set to Italian airs with very good 
effect. The national airs, like all other Oriental music, are most 
harsh and nasal. 



549 



tinople, which was the signal for revolt to the whole 
nation. 

The first information we received of the actual 
breaking out of hostilities in Greece, was from some 
officers who left Athens early in April, intending to 
return through the Morea to Corfu, and who sent 
us word that the whole of that district was up in 
arms, that Patras had been burnt, and that they had 
been obliged to go by sea from the Gulf of Salona. 
The English party at Athens was now much reduced 
in numbers, consisting only of Mr. Bartholomew 
Frere the late minister at Constantinople, Mr. 
Grey, and myself. Mr. Frere was confined to his 
bed by illness ; and it would have been otherwise 
impossible for us to make our escape, as all the 
passes to western Greece and the Morea were so 
closely guarded, that even a courier whom we dis- 
patched to Corfu, returned without being able to 
execute his mission ; and in attempting a voyage 
round the Morea in one of the vessels of the coun- 
try we should have run the risk of falling into the 
hands of the pirates, who took advantage of the 
general commotion to issue from the harbours of 
Maina. We had therefore no choice but to wait till 
chance should throw in our way some safe convey- 
ance ; and I was not sorry to have an opportunity 
of observing the progress of affairs at this critical 
moment, and of seeing something of war, however 
faint the image of it might be. Attica however 
remained for several weeks free from any attack, 



550 



except that now and then a party of xkztprou * descend- 
ed from the mountains and drove off some flocks of 
sheep from the plain : but in consequence of the tran- 
quillity to which the inhabitants of Athens had been 
so long accustomed, these trifling affairs created a 
great sensation. The Turks and their partizans at 
first affected to treat the insurrection with contempt, 
saying that it was only a temporary disturbance 
fomented by Ali Pasha as a diversion in his favour. 
The Greeks, though they did not venture to discover 
their sentiments openly, yet spoke of it among 
themselves as a well concerted system of revolt, 
and as the commencement of a new order of things. 
In the absence of all authentic information reports 
of every kind were circulated. Day after day was 
fixed for the arrival of the army of " Liberators ;" 
but it was not till the end of April, three weeks after 
the first intelligence, that a party of guerillas esta- 
blished themselves at Menidi, a village near the foot 
of Mount yEgialus. The Turks then began to be 
seriously alarmed ; they retired with their families 
and all their valuable effects into the Acropolis, 
taking with them the Greek primates as hostages ; 
laid in a store of provisions, and made every pre- 
paration for a siege. In the day-time all was bustle 
and confusion ; and the stillness of the night, so 
remarkable in a Turkish town, was broken by the 
cries of the guards, the shrieks of women, and 
the voice of the Imaum, who at midnight read 

* Literally "Thieves." 



551 



the Koran in the temple of Minerva, while the 
people responded in loud shouts of "Allah el illah." 
This was an anxious moment for the Greek 
inhabitants , the majority of whom were very well 
satisfied with their present condition, lived on 
very good terms with their Turkish neighbours, and 
were very lukewarm in the cause of independence. 
They were all of too pacific a disposition to think 
of declaring themselves, unless sure of the immediate 
assistance of their more warlike brethren from the 
mountains ; the Turkish magistrates, to whom they 
had used to look for the preservation of order and 
tranquillity, did not stir from the Acropolis ; and they 
were in constant fear of some outrage from the 
Albanian soldiers of the garrison, who paraded the 
streets armed up to the teeth, and with threats and 
defiance in their looks. In the mean time, although 
from the hill of the Areopagus we could see the 
banners of the Cross waving at Menidi, which was 
only about eight miles distant, nothing was accu- 
rately known as to the force or the designs of the 
insurgents. It was still a joke with us to ask the 
Greeks u when the Pallikari * were coming," and it 
seemed still doubtful whether any serious attack 
was intended. 

But on the morning of the 7th of May, just before 
day-break, I was aroused by the distant sound of 
straggling shots and shrill cries, which by degrees 
drew nearer and nearer, till at length a general 

* The Greek name for Guerillas. 



552 



shout and a continued volley of musquetry an- 
nounced that the enemy were under the walls of the 
town. In five minutes afterwards I saw rushing 1 
through the street, close under my window, a crowd 
of wild-looking b anditti, armed with weapons of 
every description, and cheered on by leaders many 
of whom had their priestly garb but slightly con- 
cealed by a more martial attire. The town had 
been occupied almost without resistance : the as- 
sailants were in number about twelve or fifteen 
hundred : the sentinels, strange to say, though they 
knew that the enemy was at hand, were killed 
sleeping on their posts ; and the small Albanian 
garrison contented themselves with firing a few 
shots, and then retreated into the Acropolis. 

A few old Turkish men and women, who had 
persisted in remaining in their houses when the rest 
of their countrymen had sought a place of safety, 
were made prisoners ; but most of them were res- 
cued by the prompt and firm interference of the 
Frank consuls, and but very few lives were lost. 
A constant firing was kept up for an hour or two 
after the place was taken, both by the captors and 
by the inhabitants, who were anxious to testify their 
zeal in the cause, and as much gunpowder was thus 
wasted as might have sufficed to batter the castle. 

As soon as the tumult had in some degree sub- 
sided I walked out into the streets ; and the first 
sign of war that I witnessed was a poor old black, 
to whom I had been daily in the habit of giving 



553 

a few paras as I passed by, but whom I now saw 
stretched dead at my feet. The mosques were all 
ransacked, and the Turkish houses given up to 
plunder ; but almost every thing valuable had been 
already removed by the owners. In other respects 
the troops conducted themselves with perfect order 
and moderation. The bazars, which had been shut 
up for a fortnight, were opened, and supplies 
of every sort were eagerly contributed by the inha- 
bitants, among whom a general sentiment of joy 
prevailed, at being at any rate liberated from the 
anxious state of suspense in which they had been 
kept so long. Many of them, encouraged by the pre- 
sence of their formidable allies, were walking about 
armed cap-a-pied, and several of my acquaintance^, 
hitherto little distinguished by courage, but who had 
rather the reputation of preferring the pipe to the 
sword, were so metamorphosed by their martial 
equipments, that I scarcely recognized them, and 
neither party could refrain from laughing when 
we met. 

The rest of the day was spent in allotting quar- 
ters and distributing rations to the soldiers, and 
was undisturbed, except by a few shots which the 
Turks occasionally fired from some small guns on 
the battlements, and which did no mischief. But in 

* Among them I might particularize the Deacon Logotheti, 
brother to the English Consul and well known to all English tra- 
vellers, who appeared with his pistols in his belt, along gun in his 
hand, and a row of cartridges stuck round his forehead under the 
turban which he had wound round his clerical cap. 



554 



the evening a detachment of Albanians, who had 
been sent out as a corps of observation, showed 
themselves on the skirts of the olive wood where 
they had been concealed during the day-time, and 
made directly for the castle. The alarm was im- 
mediately given ; and I soon saw from my window 
at least three hundred Pallikari collected round the 
temple of Theseus, which the Albanians must pass 
in their retreat. But whether they overrated the 
number of their antagonists, which did not exceed 
thirty or forty, or were daunted by the boldness 
which they displayed in facing a force so vastly su- 
perior, they made no attempt to intercept them ex- 
cept by a random fire. This handfull of men moved 
steadily on, leaving a few skirmishers in the rear, 
who threw themselves into the towers which flanked 
the town walls, and by occasionally firing through 
the loopholes diverted the attention of the Greeks 
till their comrades had secured their retreat. They 
then darted from their hiding-places and scampered 
up the hill after them as fast as they could, and the 
whole party succeeded in getting into the castle 
without losing a single man. 

For several days afterwards the besieging army 
remained inactive : they talked very largely of their 
determination to storm the Acropolis ; but it was 
quite evident that they had neither inclination to 
make the attempt nor means of rendering success 
even probable. The leisure which this cessation of 
hostilities occasioned, was employed in a search for 



555 



the Turks who were supposed to be concealed in 
different houses in the town. While this was going 
on, I one day chanced to wander into the Tower of 
the Winds, the interior of which having been con- 
verted into a mosque I had not before had an op- 
portunity of seeing. It was now tenantless and dis- 
mantled, and the pavement covered with fragments 
of some beautiful Arabic manuscripts, which the 
Greeks in the fervour of their zeal had torn to 
pieces and destroyed. I sat down on a bench, and 
was meditating on the mutability of human affairs, of 
which the scene now before me afforded so striking 
an instance, when I was suddenly roused from my 
reverie by a gruff voice crying out " Hoioq eim" 
"Who are you?" and turning round I saw at a 
window a most ferocious-looking Pallikari with a 
long gun, the muzzle of which was within a yard 
of my head. I started up, crying out lustily " IyyAe- 
goc ee/ii," " I am an Englishman." But he eyed my 
long beard and Turkish dress with manifest incre- 
dulity ; and I observed that he kept his gun pointed 
towards me as I moved towards the door of the 
tower, where, among the crowd by this time col- 
lected, I found several Athenians who could attest 
my real character. The Pallikari bore the loss of 
his expected prisoner, and perhaps victim, with 
tolerable equanimity : but as I went away, he point- 
ed to my beard, and said to me " Ko^e to," " Cut it 
off:" an advice which I complied with, though not 
without some reluctance, to prevent any similar 



556 



adventure, which might not have terminated so 
favourably. 

About a week after the occupation of the town 
a vessel arrived in the Piraeus from Hydra, bringing 
a cargo of ammunition and stores and some volun- 
teers from the Seven Islands. A few nights after 
their arrival, the Turks, finding a scarcity of forage 
in the Acropolis and not liking to destroy their 
horses, turned them loose out of the gates, and the 
next morning they were taken possession of by the 
besiegers. The Hydriotes, partly with the view of 
striking terror into the enemy by their numbers and 
formidable appearance, and partly perhaps to gratify 
that fondness for equestrian display which charac- 
terizes sailors, determined on riding these animals 
in grand procession round the wails of the city; and 
as almost every other horse that could be mustered 
in the town was put in requisition on the occasion, 
a party was collected of perhaps more than a hun- 
dred. Mr. Frere and myself rode out to observe 
their operations, and posted ourselves in a ruined 
church near the banks of the Ilissus, from whence 
we had a full view of the southern side of the Acro- 
polis. The Greeks marched in single files from 
the Piraic gate, and proceeded for some distance in 
safety under cover of the hills of the Pnyx and 
Lycabettus : but scarcely had the cavalcade emerged 
from behind the Museum and come in sight of our 
station, when a shot fired from the castle, with a 
better aim or a better destiny than was usual with 



557 



the Turks, carried off the head of the leader, an Hy- 
driote of some distinction. An instant panic was the 
consequence : the horsemen dispersed themselves 
in every direction ; some sought protection by en- 
tering the town at the nearest gate, and others I 
believe did not stop till they arrived at the Piraeus # . 

After this unlucky demonstration the Greeks di- 
rected their attention to some more effectual method 
of annoying their enemy; and for that purpose they 
constructed a battery near the monument of Philo- 
pappus, and mounted there some twelve-pounders 
which they brought up from the vessel in the har- 
bour, with the intention of making a breach at the 
south-eastern angle of the Acropolis : but they were 
so little skilled in the art of gunnery that most of 
the balls flew over and fell on the opposite side of 
the town ; and if now and then a stray shot hit its 
mark, the walls of Themistocles laughed to scorn 
the puny artillery of his descendants. They still 
however kept on firing; and the Turks in the 
meantime having mounted some of the large old 
guns which had long lain idle on the Propylsea, 
an almost incessant cannonade was kept up on both 
sides, but with scarcely any effect. I did not hear 
of a single person being killed or wounded, very 
little damage was done to the houses in the town ; 

* This story has already been told by Mr. Waddington (Visit 
to Greece, p. 48) ; but as an eye-witness I may be excused in 
repeating it. 



558 



and we became by degrees so accustomed to the 
whizzing of balls that they passed by us unre- 
garded. 

We began, however, to be heartily tired of our 
situation. It was obvious that the Greeks had no 
chance of taking the Acropolis but by the tedious 
process of blockade : and in the mean time intelli- 
gence arrived that Omar Vrione, one of the most 
formidable of the Mahometan champions, was 
marching with a strong force from Thessaly. This 
if true was a cause for real alarm ; as should the 
Turkish cavalry appear on the plain, there was little 
doubt that the Pallikari would immediately retire 
to their strong holds in the mountains and leave 
their countrvmen to their fate. We determined 
therefore at any rate to be prepared with the means 
of escape, and were on the point of sending to 
Hydra to engage a vessel, when on the 21st of 
May we heard to our great satisfaction that a 
brig of war under English colours was sailing up 
the Gulf. In the course of the day she came to an 
anchor in the harbour, and proved to be the Chan- 
ticleer, commanded by the late Earl of Huntingdon, 
who had come from Corfu to bring off Mr. Frere, 
and who very obligingly offered me a passage. Mr. 
Grey had already gone on board a French ship to 
Smyrna. Our departure was the signal of depar- 
ture also to M. Logotheti, the English consul, and 
several Athenian families who had considered them- 



559 



selves under protection so long as the English 
"Elchi " or minister remained among them ; and who 
dreading, not without reason, the consequences of a 
Turkish invasion # , had determined now to abandon 
their property and their homes. On the evening of 
the 22 d of May when we went down to the Pirseus, 
we found the convent of St. Spiridion crowded with 
these fugitives, preparing to embark on board some 
small vessels which were waiting to carry them to 
their several destinations ; and the satisfaction that 
we felt in the prospect of being safely conveyed to 
an English port, was damped by the thought that 
so many persons whom we had known under far 
other circumstances were now flying to places of 
exile and destitution. 

On the morning of the 23d of May we set sail. 
The winds were so light and baffling that it took us 
a week to coast round the Morea ; but the beauty of 
the weather and of the scenery, and the great hos- 
pitality and politeness of our commander, prevented 
the voyage from appearing at all tedious. On the 
29th we passed through the Greek fleet which was 
cruising olf Navarino, and on the following day we 
landed at Zante, at which point, having finally taken 
leave of the Turkish dominions, I will close my 
narrative. 

* Omar Vrione arrived in Attica and raised the siege of Athens 
in the following July, and his stay there was marked by blood- 
shed and devastation. 



560 



is usual for writers of travels to conclude with 
a panegyric on their own country, and I have no 
wish to depart from so patriotic a custom. — An 
Englishman who makes the tour which I did, can 
hardly fail to return strengthened in the proud con- 
viction, that without civil liberty and equal laws no 
nation can be permanently great or flourishing ; 
although as a friend to mankind he may be glad at 
the same time to have learned that a fertile soil, a 
genial climate, and a bright sunshine, may produce 
much individual happiness even in those countries 
where Trial by Jury is unknown and the writ of 
Habeas Corpus runneth not. 



THE END. 



PRINTED BY RICHARD TAYLOR, 

RED LION COURT, FLEET-STREET. 





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